Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 10, 2002
Annan to Meet EU, U.S., Russian Officials on Middle East Conflict
Responding to the ongoing violence in the Middle East, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to meet on Wednesday with senior officials from the three other components of the diplomatic 'quartet' -- the United States,the European Union and the Russian Federation, a U.N. spokesman said.
Responding to the ongoing violence in the Middle East, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to meet on Wednesday with senior officials from the three other components of the diplomatic 'quartet' -- the United States,the European Union and the Russian Federation, a U.N. spokesman said.
Annan, who is in the Spanish capital of Madrid to attend a U.N.conference on aging on Tuesday, prepared for tomorrow's meeting byconferring with his Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters here.
The meeting, to be held in the Spanish capital, will include the participation of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, SpanishForeign Minister Josep Pique representing the rotating Presidency of the European Union, European Security Chief Javier Solana, and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
Participants are expected to issue a joint declaration following their meeting.
The quartet has met only once previously at this level, during the General Assembly session last Fall in New York. "The principals have remained in touch mainly by phone since, and they have been coordinating regularly on the ground," Eckhard said.