Meeting of the OSCE Troika with Algeria; Egypt; Israel; Morocco and Tunesia

VIENNA, 12 July 1995 - The OSCE Troika (Hungary, Italy and Switzerland) has invited Foreign Ministers or representatives of the "non-participating Mediterranean States" for a meeting in Vienna on Thursday, 13 July, from 14.45 - 17.30. Following is a list of participants:

OSCE Troika: Mr. Lászlo Kovács, Hungary (Foreign Minister)Mr. Walter Gardini, Italy (Deputy Foreign Minister)Mr. Jakob Kellenberger, Switzerland (State Secretary)

OSCE Secretary General:Dr. Wilhelm Höynck

Non-Participating Mediterranean States:Mr. Amre Moussa, Egypt (Foreign Minister)Mr. Shimon Peres, Israel (Foreign Minister)Mr. Habib Ben Yahia, Tunisia (Foreign Minister)Mr. Halim Benattallah, Algeria (Ambassador to Austria)Mr. Abderrahim Benmoussa, Morocco (Ambassador to Austria)

In the Budapest Document adopted at the December 1994 OSCE Budapest Summit Meeting, Heads of State or Government deepened the OSCE's long-standing relationship with the non-participating Mediterranean States. The document called for the establishment of an expert-level contact group, which meets regularly in Vienna to exchange information on areas of common interest. It also called on the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the Troika to conduct high-level consultations with the non-participating Mediterranean States.

Foreign Minister Kovács, Deputy Foreign Minister Gardini and State Secretary Kellenberger will address the morning session of the OSCE Permanent Council at 10:00. Also in Vienna to address the Permanent Council will be Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinsky and Thorwald Stoltenberg, the UN's Yugoslavia Mediator. At 11:00, the OSCE Troika will hold its meeting.

Press Arrangements

All interested members of the media are invited to a press conference at 14.30 with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Hungarian Foreign Minister Lászlo Kovács. Minister Kovács will report on the morning meeting of the OSCE Troika and on his expectations for the afternoon meeting. This will be followed by a photo opportunity at 14.45. The OSCE will issue a press release summarizing the meeting at 17.30. At 17.30, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres of Israel is scheduled to hold a press conference at the Hofburg. At 22.00, Foreign Minister Amre Moussa of Egypt will hold a press conference at the Plaza Hotel, Schottenring, Room 1001.

PLACE: Hofburg Congress Centre, Heldenplatz 1, Segmentgalerie 1LANGUAGE: English

Please present your press credentials at the entrance. Parking is available between 9.30 and 18.30 in the OSCE-reserved lot at the Heldenplatz for those with clearly marked "Presse" signs.