THE US ambassador to the United Nations, Ms Madeleine Albright, plans to visit Greece Cyprus and Turkey next week, according to her office at the UN in New York.
She will be accompanied by Mr Richard Beattie, the US special presidential emissary for Cyprus, and travel in her capacity as a UN ambassador and a member of President Clinton's cabinet.
In Athens, Ms Albright will meet Greek government officials on July 16th and 17th. In addition to Cyprus, she intends to discuss Bosnia and other regional issues.
She goes to Nicosia on July 17th to examine "the effectiveness of the UN peace-keeping mission in Cyprus" and discuss "potential opportunities" for a comprehensive agreement, a statement said.
Cyprus has been virtually partitioned since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied the north of the island after a brief coup in Nicosia backed by a military junta then ruling Greece. The Turkish Cypriots proclaimed their own state in 1983 but it is recognised only by Turkey.
The US, Britain as well as the UN have sent special emissaries to reunite the island under a federal system but their efforts remain deadlocked.
After Nicosia, Ms Albright goes to Ankara on July 18th and 19th to meet officials from Turkey's new government and discuss bilateral issues as well as Cyprus and Iraq.
The Turkish parliament recently ratified a coalition government led by Mr Necmettin Erbakan, the first Islamic prime minister in the modern Turkish state.
. President Mubarak of Egypt visits Turkey today to discuss its controversial military accord with Israel. The visit is a result of last month's Arab summit in Cairo which called on Turkey to review its military agreement with Israel signed in February.