NATO member countries and its partners will discuss how to transition out of Afghanistan and how to support the country and keep its residents secure down the road. Summit participants will also focus on the global economic crisis.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, among the first world leaders to arrive in Chicago for the summit, will join dozens of leaders at McCormick Place. In all, more than 60 countries will be represented. President Obama will arrive in the city Saturday evening.
In addition to heads of state and their delegations, hundreds of foreign journalists are expected to cover the summit.
Parking restrictions and security measures are in effect in and around McCormick Place and the city.
Hundreds of protesters marched through downtown Chicago Friday following an anti-NATO rally, weaving through the Loop from Daley Plaza to the Chicago Board of Trade via Michigan Avenue. Another big protest is scheduled for Sunday.
The NATO alliance was forged in 1949 to deal with the pressing Soviet threat. This is be the first time a NATO summit has taken place outside of Washington D.C.
