On Monday, 20 March Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik will attend the meeting in Brussels of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the European Union in her capacity as Council President. She will be accompanied by State Secretary Hans Winkler.
At the session on general affairs, the discussions will focus on preparations for the European Council.
The Foreign Ministers will discuss relations with the Western Balkans on the basis of the Salzburg Declaration adopted at their Informal Meeting on 11 March. Other topics of discussion will include the recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the change of government in the Republika Srpska and the situation in Serbia after the death of Milosevic.
The Foreign Ministers will also discuss the further procedure concerning Iran's nuclear policy and the current situation in Iraq after the convening of the new parliament.
The themes for the working lunch will be the Middle East peace process in the light of the recent events in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the situation in Sudan.
There will be a Troika meeting at minister level in the margins of the Council with Albania, at which in particular the further steps in ratification of a stabilisation and association agreement will be discussed.
In addition, Foreign Minister Plassnik will have a meeting with the President of Lebanon's Council of Ministers, Fouad Siniora.
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