ANKARA (A.A) - 23.04.2002 - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou will go to Middle East on Wednesday together to meet with Palestinian and Israeli sides.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz told A.A on Tuesday that Cem would leave Ankara and Papandreou would leave Athens on Wednesday evening to pay the common visit to the region.
The two ministers who will meet with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Thursday morning, are also expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Meanwhile Cem and Papandreou came together in Valencia where they participated in EU-Mediterranean countries meeting and talked about their visit to the region.
Cem had said in an earlier statement that his visit to the region with Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou had certain meanings, reminding that the EU representatives who wanted to meet with Arafat could not be successful in that. He had stressed that Turkey would bring EU to the Middle East with Papandreou in one respect. Cem had pointed out that the meeting of foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece, which had still certain problems in their bilateral relations, with the sides in the Middle East would be a peaceful message that traditional rivals can work together to promote peace. Cem also noted that they wanted to continue pursuing the Istanbul spirit which came out by OIC-EU Joint Forum. Cem had also stated the EU would see that Turkey was exerting efforts to help the sides in the Middle East, adding that the interests of Turkey were not limited to the Middle East and that the initiative would be very useful for the image of Turkey.