Igor Ivanov and Joschka Fischer to meet in St. Petersburg

Meeting within the framework of the St. Petersburg summit held on April 9-10, foreign ministers of Russia and Germany will talk about strategic stability. According to diplomatic sources, talks are expected to focus on the future of the 1972 ABM Treaty, the United States' plans concerning a national missile system and Moscow's relations with the new US administration. Apart from that, Igor Ivanov and Joschka Fischer will discuss Russia-EU cooperation and Moscow-NATO interaction. Also, the foreign ministers will check the proximity of their positions on Balkan developments in view of the upcoming session of the Contact Group for former Yugoslavia, due in Paris on April 11-12, on the Mideastern situation, and on preparations for a G-8 summit in Genoa. Further on, talks will touch on interaction between two countries' foreign ministries in such aspects as re-registration of diplomatic property formerly belonging to the USSR, church-owned property, and recovery of displaced cultural values. Reportedly, foreign ministers of Russia and Germany keep in touch constantly. By now, they have already held ten meetings; besides, they hold frequent, almost daily, telephone conversations. On April 11-12, the ministers will meet in Paris to attend the session of the Contact Group for Yugoslavia.

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