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Mike Ross
Contact: Brad Howard 202.225.0753


Ross Elected Vice President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Ark. Congressman Will Help Build Support for U.S., NATO Objectives in Legislative Bodies Across Alliance

Washington, Nov 16 -

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Mike Ross of Prescott, Ark., has been elected vice president of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA).  Ross, who is also a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was elected by the delegates at the 56th Annual Session of the NATO PA in Warsaw, Poland, which took place November 12 – 15, 2010.  The annual session included 260 members of parliament from 48 countries, including all 28 NATO-member countries.



Ross is the only U.S. official serving on the NATO PA’s Bureau of the Assembly, or leadership authority, which consists of a president, five vice presidents, treasurer and secretary general.



“I am honored to represent Arkansas and the United States and to help lead this international organization during a time when strong, working relationships with our NATO allies are more important than ever,” said Ross.  “As a vice president of NATO PA, my primary responsibility will be to strengthen support for U.S. and NATO objectives among legislators and parliamentarians from our ally countries around the world.  On numerous issues from terrorism to security to trade, we must strengthen the Alliance and work with our NATO allies to ensure a safe and prosperous United States and a stronger, more stable economy here at home.  One of my top priorities will also be to promote fair trade policies with our allies that begin to ship Arkansas products overseas and not our jobs.”



Ross, who led the U.S. delegation to the summit, was first appointed in 2005 to represent the United States to the NATO PA, an inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from the 28-member countries of NATO and its 14 associate countries.  Delegates met in the Polish Parliament for NATO PA’s annual summit to participate in numerous meetings focused on the NATO mission in Afghanistan, its partnership with Afghan National Security Forces, NATO and nuclear weapons, NATO-Russia relations, NATO and Poland, and the future of NATO.



“The recent attempted terrorist attacks through cargo on commercial and freight airlines demonstrated that we must continue to work with our allies to combat terrorism and keep Americans safe.  America simply cannot carry the burden of fighting terrorism alone,” said Ross.



As a vice president of NATO PA’s Bureau of the Assembly, Ross will help lead the organization’s efforts to strengthen mutual understanding of the key security and economic challenges facing the transatlantic partnership and to provide critical input for urgent and specific questions as needed.  If at any point the president of NATO PA is unable to fulfill his duties or responsibilities, one of the five vice presidents will be selected by the Bureau to carry out those duties.



“These NATO PA meetings allow representatives from NATO-member countries to come together, better understand the key security issues facing the Alliance and work together to protect our homelands.  Nothing can replace these face-to-face meetings where important relationships are made and cooperative partnerships are renewed and strengthened among key legislators and parliamentarians from our ally countries,” said Ross.



Founded in 1955, the NATO PA exists in order to build support for the NATO Alliance and its objectives within the national legislatures and to provide recommendations to the Secretary General of NATO and the North Atlantic Council.  Many of the reforms in NATO have first come from the Assembly.  



The bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation to the NATO PA meets with their legislative counterparts from other NATO-member countries to discuss issues of common interest and concern, such as strengthening global partnerships, improving trade relations, reducing drug trafficking and working to combat terrorism.  Delegates to the NATO PA are nominated by their respective governments according to their national procedures on the basis of party representation in the parliaments.  Therefore, the Assembly represents a broad spectrum of political opinion from across the world.