Security, regional conflicts, cooperation between the EU and the UN: these are some of the items on the agenda that will be discussed at the Glass Palace in New York from today to September 29th as part of the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly. Tomorrow, the current president of the European Council, Nicolas Sarkozy, will give an opening address on behalf of the European Union in front of the Assembly. The presidency, along with the High Representative for Foreign Policy Javier Solana, will also take part in many bilateral meetings and in the "quartet" on the Middle East, due to take place on September 26th. Today, Sarkozy is due to give a speech on the "needs of Africa in terms of development". The 27 Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Union, Solana and the Commissioner for foreign Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner will meet states a note from the French Presidency "the Russian and American Ministers of Foreign Affairs, on September 23rd and 24th, respectively". In both cases, "they will speak of the peace process in the Middle East, Iran and Georgia". In addition, there will be meetings between the EU and the Arab Gulf States, Pakistan, Iraq, Palestinian Authority, Japan, Islamic Conference Organisation, Non-aligned Movement, Bosnia Herzegovina.
