WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. State Department Undersecretary Marc Grossman will visit Turkey next week within the project of the U.S. administration on ''Big Middle East'' aiming to support democratic reforms in Middle East countries.
U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said in a news conference on Friday that Grossman would visit Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain in the Middle East and Turkey and Brussels in Europe between February 29-March 5.
When asked if the visit of Grossman to Turkey was related to solution efforts in Cyprus, Boucher said that the issue could come to agenda during Grossman's visit, but the main aim of the visit was other issues. Recalling that U.S. State Department's Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston would leave for the region on Saturday, Boucher said that it was Weston who was dealing with Cyprus issue.
When asked about the role of NATO in security of Cyprus, Boucher said that the security of the island was part of the continuing negotiations. He stressed that the security of the island could be ensured the best with a comprehensive solution.
(Öª) 28.02.2004