Gul To Leave For Kuwait On Saturday For Meeting Of Neighboring Countries Of Iraq

ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will leave for Kuwait on Saturday to attend the meeting of neighboring countries of Iraq.
The fifth meeting of neighboring countries of Iraq has special importance as Iraq will attend the meeting for the first time.
Iraq was also officially invited to the previous meeting which was held in Damascus, but Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari did not attend the meeting on the ground that the invitation was late.
Zebari who has made recently a statement about the process which was launched by initiative of Turkey in Istanbul said that he would participate in the meeting to be held in Kuwait and he would inform ministers about the situation in Iraq.
Turkey, Kuwait, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are expected to attend the meeting which will start with a general session at 5 p.m. Turkish local time on Saturday.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Muhammad Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah will host a dinner in honor of delegations at 7 p.m. Turkish local time.
Final session of the fifth meeting of neighboring countries of Iraq will be held on Sunday.
Kuwaiti Amir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al-Sabah will meet with heads of the delegations on Sunday.
The meeting will end after the final statement is released.
The meeting will focus on developments in Iraq and the future of this country. Turkish side will underline the importance of protection of territorial integrity and political unity of Iraq and it will also stress that systems based on ethnic structure would cause new problems in the region.
Countries which will attend the meeting are expected to discuss issues such as use of natural resources of by Iraqi people, handing over the administration of Iraq to Iraqi people, and forming a democratic, and stable Iraq that has good relations with its neighbours.
Previously, foreign ministers of Turkey, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt came together in Istanbul, Riyadh, Tehran and Damascus.
(EÖ-AÖ) 13.02.2004