ISTANBUL - NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul in June would be a timely opportunity to put forth a vision for duties that the Alliance would undertake in the future in order to cope with new security problems, Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday.
Gul hosted dinner in honor of NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who came to Turkey to have several meetings on preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul and NATO Secretary General Scheffer held a short meeting before the dinner.
During the dinner, Gul said that NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul was expected to be a historic activity.
Gul noted that Scheffer would witness that preparations for the summit continued as planned.
Recalling that NATO had reached its widest border after seven countries joined the Alliance, Gul said that Istanbul Summit would be the first event which would bring together old and new members of the Alliance in the level of heads of state and government.
Gul expressed hope that a historic initiative would be launched at Istanbul Summit to show that the Alliance was a dynamic element of universal peace and stability.
Expressing belief that Istanbul, a place where innumerable cultures, civilizations and religious had intermingled for centuries, was a suitable place for such a comprehensive meeting, Gul said, ''I would like to reiterate our wish that NATO Summit will be held with an agenda appropriate for NATO-EU (European Union) Summit besides its main theme of cooperation for regional and global security and stability.''
Recalling that he was briefed on ongoing preparations for NATO Summit, Gul said that NATO Secretary General would receive similar information about ongoing preparations on Thursday.
Gul stated that Istanbul Governor's and Mayor's Offices would undertake important roles in holding NATO Summit successfully.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul added that there would be a separate organization for spouses during the NATO Summit.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer arrived in Istanbul earlier on Wednesday.
Scheffer will have meetings in Turkey on Wednesday and Thursday and focus on preparations for NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul in June.
NATO Secretary General Scheffer had come to Ankara in February within his courtesy visits to capital cities of NATO member countries after he started his term in office.
(BRC) 28.04.2004