(1 Sep 2005) SHOTLIST

1. Wide shot Celtic Manor clubhouse, venue for EU foreign ministers'' meeting, with EU, UK and Welsh flags flying
2. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arriving
3. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana arriving
4. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy arriving
5. Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou arriving
6. Various German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer arriving
7. Mid shot Straw talking to other ministers
8. Close-up Douste-Blazy
9. Mid shot ministers talking, with Solana in background
10. Iacovou talking to ministers
11. Wide shot ministers talking during meet and greet session

STORYLINE

European Union foreign ministers are assessing Turkey''s compliance with conditions to open membership talks next month, particularly Ankara''s refusal so far to officially recognise EU nation Cyprus.

The EU foreign ministers were meeting in Wales on Thursday.

The 25-nation EU has already highlighted that the drawn-out membership talks would inevitably involve Cyprus and that the Mediterranean island nation will need to approve eventual membership.

The debate on Turkey''s handling of the Cyprus issue comes amid growing unease within the EU over whether to start membership talks with Ankara on October 3.

Many in the EU fear that the inclusion of Turkey would flood the EU market with cheap labour and that the inclusion of the overwhelmingly Muslim nation could upset the political balance in the EU.

To overcome one of the final hurdles to talks, Turkey signed a deal extending a customs union with the EU to include the 10 countries that joined in 2004, including divided Cyprus. Yet it insisted in a separate declaration that it still didn''t recognise the Cypriot government.

Cyprus has been bitterly divided between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities since Turkey sent troops to the island in 1974 - following an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece - and subsequently occupied the northern swathe of the nation, including part of the capital, Nicosia and the cities of Kyrenia and Famagusta.

About 160,000 Greek Cypriots fled south or were expelled.

Turkey still keeps some 35,000 troops on the island.

Turkey''s Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul, who will join his EU counterparts on Friday, has said that his country would only establish ties with Cyprus once the island''s division was resolved and a new partnership state was formed. He said the dispute didn''t diminish Turkey''s commitment to joining the EU.

EU officials will also look at whether Cypriot-flagged ships were being allowed to deliver goods to Turkish ports.

Also at the talks, EU foreign ministers will try to find a way to restart talks with Iran over its nuclear programme.

European negotiators have so far failed to persuade Iran to give up some nuclear activities that can be used to make weapons. Tehran recently rejected economic and other incentives offered by Britain, France and Germany - negotiating on behalf of the EU - and resumed activity related to uranium enrichment.

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