Presidency Announcement: European Council to convene on Monday, 17 February 2003 

In view of the report of chief weapons inspector Hans Blix to the UN Security Council on Friday, 14 February and subsequent developments concerning the issue of Iraq, the President of the European Council, Prime Minister Costas Simitis has convened a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Monday, 17 February. The foreign ministers of the 15 EU countries will meet in the morning of the same day. The purpose of the European Council meeting is to assess the situation in the context of UN Security Council resolution 1441 and the common position decided by the EU on 27 January. The meeting will also discuss the progress in the Middle East peace process.