FMs of Iraqi neighbors to meet in Istanbul

ANKARA - Turkey said Wednesday it planned to host a new round of talks later this month between foreign ministers of countries neighboring Iraq.
The meeting is scheduled to be held in Istanbul on April 18-19 if the new Iraqi government is in place by then, a foreign ministry statement said.
"The meeting... will serve as an opportunity for Iraq's neighbors to confirm their support for the democratization process in the country," it said.
The last meeting of the foreign ministers of Iraq and its six neighbors -- Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- plus Egypt was held in Amman in January.
The ministers have met regularly since January 2003, when Turkey spearheaded the initiative as part of efforts to force Baghdad to comply with UN resolutions and avert a US intervention.

04/06/2005 14:18 GMT