COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: FOREIGN MINISTERS SET FOR INFORMAL VOYAGE.

EU and acceding states' Foreign Ministers will be navigating both the southern Aegean Sea and the key international issues of the day on May 1-4 at their informal meeting in Greece. The Greek EU Presidency will be hoping to avoid choppy waters on both fronts at the "Gymnich" session, with its officials saying that the Presidency wants to raise a number of topical items for discussion. These include the approach to post-war Iraq, where the Presidency statement issued at the end of the Athens Summit on April 17 said the UN must play a "central role" - including in the process leading towards Iraqi self-government. At the same stage, the EU signalled its commitment to play a "significant role" in terms of political and economic reconstruction (See European Report 2769, Section V). The Greek Presidency wants to discuss the Middle East peace process (notably progress on the "road map" for a Palestinian state by 2005), and transatlantic relations - which divisions over Iraq have cast into sharp relief. The Presidency seems to be looking for a more general discussion about EU foreign and defence policy, which will no doubt be informed by the Quadripartite Summit between France, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg on April 29 (see separate article in this Section). Ministers are expected to return to the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction following their discussion on the subject at the April EU External Relations Council. This saw the adoption of Conclusions calling, for example, for the development of a long-term EU strategy (see European Report, 2768, Section V). The Western Balkans may...