The World This Week

Today: NATO Secretary-General meets Belgian Prime Minister and foreign minister for discussions on Kosovo

Today: NATO Secretary-General meets Belgian Prime Minister and foreign minister for discussions on Kosovo. US Secretary of State Ms Madeleine Albright visits China. Ottawa convention on landmines comes into force. Party of European Socialists conference in Milan. Italian cable car accident court martial begins. US troops in Panama begin pulling out. Australian deputy Prime Minister leads delegation to Iran. Heads of state from Developing Eight (D8) meet in Bangladesh. Public service bus link from India to Pakistan begins. NASA launches small spacecraft to investigate star formation.

Tomorrow: EU financial services commissioner in Switzerland. Talks between Russia, South Korea and Japan in Seoul. Defence begins case in trial of 35 alleged members of Jihad in Egypt.

Wednesday: New code of conduct for European Commissioners unveiled. US deadline in banana dispute with EU. Taiwanese foreign minister visits Macedonia. Mrs Hillary Clinton attends fundraiser for Democratic Party in New York. Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meets in Beijing. Ms Albright in Thailand. Caribbean political leaders meeting in Surinam.

Thursday: Governing Council of European Central Bank meets in Frankfurt. EU foreign relations commissioner visits Norway. Eurostat releases unemployment figures. US-Israel economic development group meets. Ms Albright visits Indonesia.

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Friday: Council of Europe's parliamentary bureau meets in Paris. EU-Macedonia co-operation council meets. Italian Prime Minister visits the US. China's National People's Congress meets in Beijing.

Saturday: German Christian Social Union hold conference in Munich. German Party of Democratic Socialism holds conference in Suhl. Union deadline for Ukraine government to pay debts to nuclear employees.

Sunday: EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner visits Africa. Estonian parliamentary elections. Presidential election in El Salvador. Parliamentary election in Equatorial Guinea. Local elections in North Korea. - (Future Events News Service)

Ireland

Today: Mexican Foreign Minister and Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs visit Dublin. Launch of GOAL/Aidlink Saint Patrick's Day Badge Project.

Wednesday: Oireachtas committees on European and foreign affairs meet.

Irish events of a world news interest for this column should be received by David Shanks, Foreign Desk, on the Friday before publication.