(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District – Kansas) will depart for Brussels, Belgium Saturday as part of a select congressional delegation attending a meeting of legislators from NATO member nations.

"The attack on America last September makes it imperative that our government speak to the world with one, unified voice. I’m proud to represent our nation as part of this congressional delegation. I am eager to meet with representatives from America’s allies to discuss how our nations can cooperate militarily, diplomatically, and economically," said Moore

In Brussels, Moore will meet with legislators from other NATO nations, as well as the permanent representatives to the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s governing body. A meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will also be held in Paris. Finally, Moore will also take part in sessions on defense, the environment, and international economics being held by the British-American Parliamentary Group in London.

Moore will be a member of the House delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Delegates to the Assembly are nominated by their respective legislative bodies. The United States is sending 15 House members to this set of meetings.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1947 to defend Western Europe against a possible attack by the Soviet Union. In response to the September 11 attacks, NATO invoked Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which means the attacks on the United States are now considered an attack against all 19 NATO members. It was the first time in history the collective defense provisions of Article 5 have been invoked.

According to their website, "The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is the inter-parliamentary organisation of legislators from the member countries of the NATO Alliance as well as 17 Associate members. The Assembly provides a critical forum for international parliamentary dialogue on an array of security, political and economic matters. Its principal objective is to foster mutual understanding among alliance parliamentarians who represent a broad spectrum of political parties."

For more information on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, visit: http://www.nato-pa.int/