Meeting of the Middle East Quartet in Berlin

The Middle East Quartet, comprising the United Nations, the European Union, the United States of America and the Russian Federation, will reconvene in Berlin this coming Wednesday (21 February) to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The meeting will be attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, currently President of the Council of the European Union, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

Foreign Minister Steinmeier will hold a number of bilateral talks on the sidelines of the meeting.

E D I T O R S   T A K E   N O T E

The following press events have been scheduled:

Wednesday, 21.2.2007:

Talks with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon: Meet-the-press after the talks

• Venue: Federal Foreign Office, Old Building (Altbau), 2nd floor, Weltsaal, Entrance: Werderscher Markt 1, Atrium (Lichthof)
• Time:  Wednesday, 21.2.2007, 12.00 h rpt 12.00 h, (Admission from 11.15 h rpt 11.15 h)

Talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: Meet-the-press after the talks

• Venue: Federal Foreign Office, Old Building (Altbau), Weltsaal, Entrance: Werderscher Markt 1, Atrium (Lichthof)
• Time: Wednesday, 21.2.2007, 14.00 h rpt 14.00 h, (Admission from 13.15 h rpt 13.15 h)
  

Meeting of the Middle East Quartet: Pooled pictures only for arrival/pre-meeting shots

Pool representatives for the arrival of the delegations:

TV: reuters-tv, Volker Probst, Tel. 030-2888-5017

Photos: reuters, Tobias Schwarz, Tel. 030-2888-5060 (news agencies); Marco Urban, Tel. 030-2300-4400 (freelancers); Sebastian Sieversen, Tel. 040-5549-00801 (private photo agencies)

Pool representatives for the welcome and in the meeting room:

TV: ARD, Martina Michel, Tel. 030-2288-1710

Photos: 403@bpa.bund.de (BPA); AP-Photo, Herbert Knosovski, 030-3999-2530 (news agencies)

Meeting of the Middle East Quartet: Joint meet-the-press by the Quartet following the meeting

• Venue: Federal Foreign Office, Old Building (Altbau), Weltsaal, Entrance: Werderscher Markt 1, Atrium (Lichthof)
• Time: Wednesday, 21.2.2007, 20.00 h rpt 20.00 h, (Admission from 18.45 h rpt 18.45 h)

Thursday, 22.2.2007:

Talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: Meet-the-press after the talks

• Venue: Federal Foreign Office, Old Building (Altbau), 2nd floor, Weltsaal, Entrance: Werderscher Markt 1, Atrium (Lichthof)
• Time: Thursday, 22.2.2007, 11.30 h rpt 11.30 h, (Admission from 10.45 h rpt 10.45 h)

E D I T O R S   T A K E   N O T E

!!! Registration is required for all press events !!!

Registration: By tomorrow (20 February), 17.00 h rpt 17.00 h with the Press Division of the Federal Foreign Office (Tel. Nr. 030-5000-2057, 2058, 2059).

Without registration attendance at the events is not possible even for press representatives accredited for the whole year with the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government(BPA).