U.S. Congressman John Boozman 3rd District of Arkansas

House Seal Outline

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Washington, Nov 9, 2009 -

On Monday, two U.S. Representatives from Arkansas, Mike Ross (AR-04) and John Boozman (AR-03), joined an official, bipartisan U.S. delegation to Northern Ireland and Scotland for the annual session of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO-PA).  Ross and Boozman, who are members of NATO-PA, also serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 

The 12-member diplomatic mission will also honor fallen American service members at the U.S. Cemetery at Normandy on Veterans Day.  Established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial site covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.  

The leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives appointed both Ross and Boozman as delegates to the NATO-PA, an inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from the 28 member countries of NATO and 14 associate countries.  The U.S. delegation will, among numerous meetings, participate in bilateral talks with the Northern Ireland Parliament, attend briefings with military commanders from Iraq and Afghanistan, and meet with representatives of the United Kingdom governments. 

Ross, who was first appointed to the NATO-PA in 2005 and elected as an officer of the Transatlantic Relations Subcommittee of the NATO-PA Political Committee, will present a report to the Assembly discussing the important role Pakistan must play in stabilizing Afghanistan and in fighting global terrorism.  Ross will outline that a comprehensive, coordinated and cooperative regional strategy is necessary in the region and it must combine three elements, namely:  a regional approach to stability which integrates the developments in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India; stronger support for democracy and development in Pakistan; and continued, but conditional support for the Pakistani military. 

“As a delegate to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I am honored to represent the United States and advocate our concerns and interests to our global allies.  My focus will be to encourage our NATO allies to commit more troops to Afghanistan as I believe the U.S. should not fight this global war on terrorism alone,” said Ross.  “It will also be an incredible honor to lay a wreath at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial on Veterans Day.  I look forward to recognizing and paying my respects to those Americans who gave their lives as part of a massive global partnership in defense of liberty and freedom.” 

Boozman, a Co-Rapporteur for the Subcommittee on Transatlantic Economic Relations of the NATO-PA Political Committee, has been a member of the NATO-PA since 2003 when Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) appointed him to be a U.S. delegate to the organization. 

“It is invaluable that we work and communicate with our NATO allies. This is a critical visit, in which we must promote support for our continued fight in the Global War on Terror and encourage the participation of our allies,” Boozman said. 

As part of their NATO-PA duties, both Boozman and Ross visited Afghanistan last year for a first-hand view of the role our nation’s military and NATO forces are playing in the ongoing war against terrorism.  Congressional members of NATO-PA serve on the bipartisan assembly, which travels to other NATO countries to discuss issues of common interest and concern, such as strengthening global partnerships, improving trade relations, reducing drug trafficking, and working with our allies to stop 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 and the Assembly therefore represents a broad spectrum of political opinion.   

The NATO-PA has existed since 1955 in order to build support for the NATO Alliance 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.  It also provides a way for legislators in member countries to stay informed about changes in NATO and about military reforms in the 14 associate countries.