Cem and Papandreou to visit Mid-East

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece have announced that they will go ahead with a joint mission to the Middle East next week to support efforts to end violence between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The two ministers - Ismail Cem of Turkey and Greece's George Papandreou - have said they hope the trip will send a message that two longtime foes can work together to promote peace.

Correspondents say that both men have been instrumental in forging closer ties between their two countries, which have come close to war three times since 1974.

No exact date has been given for their trip.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service