MADRID - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will leave for Spanish capital Madrid later on Monday to attend the spring term meetings of NATO foreign ministers.
Sources said that five separate sessions would be held during the two-day meetings in Madrid.
A Turkish delegation headed by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Gul will represent Turkey at these sessions.
Settlement of stability in Iraq, NATO's role in rebuilding process of Iraq and NATO's undertaking responsibility of International Security Assistance Force-4 in Afghanistan will be high on agenda of the meeting.
Issues such as strategic partnership between NATO and the European Union (EU) under cooperation in Iraq and the Balkans; NATO's relations with Ukraine; development of cooperation between NATO and the Russian Federation; progress of Partnership for Peace and Mediterranean Dialogue since Prague Summit; contributions of Russia, Ukraine and other partners and Mediterranean Dialogue countries to the Alliance's fight against existing threats; and contributions of countries, which are invited to join NATO next year; will also be assessed during the meeting.
Turkey supports NATO's undertaking an active role in fight against terrorism. NATO will undertake command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in June and act in a region except for Europe for the first time in its history.
Ankara defends that NATO could play a more influential role in Iraq.
Gul is expected to hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of some allied countries.
He is expected to return to Turkey on Thursday.
(UK-BRC) 02.06.2003