Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Sunday she would visit Syria, Jordan and Egypt to brief their leaders about European Union initiatives in the Middle East conflict, reported the official Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA).
Speaking to Austrian television before leaving for her tour, the minister said that she regretted that talks planned for Sunday between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat had again been called off.
During her first stop in Damascus, Ferrero-Waldner will meet Monday with her counterpart, Farouq Shara.
In Amman on Monday night, she will meet with her counterpart, Abdel Ilah Khatib, and in Cairo on Wednesday, she will hold talks with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, KUNA said.
Meetings with the leaders of these countries are also possible.
The FM said she would ask the three nations for the backing of the Arab countries in the international fight against terrorism.
However, she struck a cautionary note by urging the United States to only target terrorist networks and training camps, warning that civilian population must not be hit – Albawaba.com
