ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that Turkey would host two important international meetings in 2004.
Gul told reporters that Turkey would host heads of state and government of 19 countries including the new members of NATO within the framework of NATO summit planned to be held in May 2004.
Euro-Atlantic Association Council would convene within the framework of NATO summit, Gul said.
Gul noted that in that context, heads of state and government of 46 countries including Russia, Ukraine, Caucasia, and Central Asian countries would meet in Turkey.
Recalling that it would be the first time that a NATO meeting would be held in Turkey since 1957, Gul said that it was important that the decision to hold the summit in Turkey was taken unanimously.
Gul said, ''this is the indicator that Turkey's efficiency in international platform has increased in recent months.''
Announcing that the second international meeting to be organized in Turkey would be the meeting of foreign ministers of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Gul said that foreign ministers of a total of 63 countries, including 57 members and 6 observers would come to Turkey.
Gul stated that they proposed to hold NATO summit in Turkey during Madrid summit and the OIC meeting during the OIC meeting in Tehran.
(BRC-AÖ) 25.06.2003