NATO meeting in Turkey

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrived in Istanbul on Thursday to attend the informal meeting of NATO defense ministers.

Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul will host the meeting that will gather defense ministers of 28 NATO-member countries.

The meeting will focus on Afghanistan. Afghan interior and defense ministers will also take part at the meeting to discuss the recent situation in the country and steps to be taken in 2010.

NATO's new targets as well as financing of NATO attacks will also be high on the agenda of the meeting.

More than 250 journalists from around the world came to Istanbul to cover the two-day meeting.

/World Bulletin/