ANKARA - ''Ministers' Delegation'' that has been set up under the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will hold talks on Palestine-Israel conflict with the Middle East Quartet (United States, U.N., European Union (EU) and Russian Federation), sources said on Monday.
Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the delegation would meet with Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen in Dublin on May 19 and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on May 20 with the initiative of Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Syed Hamid bin Syed Jaafar Albar.
Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay will represent Turkey in the delegation's meeting with Cowen. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will attend the meeting with Lavrov. Gul is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart.
It was decided to set up a ''Ministers' Delegation'' in order to hold contacts on Palestine-Israel conflict with the Middle East quartet on behalf of OIC with ''Palestine Declaration'' which was approved in extraordinary ministerial meeting in Malaysia on April 22.
Malaysia invited Turkey to the mentioned delegation due to Turkey's interest in Palestinian issue, its constructive contribution to peace efforts and Turkey's hosting OIC Foreign Ministers' Conference next month.
(EÖ-AÖ) 17.05.2004