THE HAGUE, Wednesday - Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen is visiting the Middle East in June. He plans a trip to Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Verhagen says in a letter to parliament that he expects meetings in the Palestinian territories with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah party and with the Foreign and Finance Ministers Ziad Abu Amr and Salam Fayyad. They are independent government members.

The Netherlands does not want any contact with Hamas ministers. This organisation is on the EU list of terrorist organisations. Last week, Verhagen ensured that Hamas members of the Palestinian Authority could not participate in a Palestinian conference in Rotterdam. Both Premier Ismail Haniyeh and Sports Minister Basem Naim were refused entry to the Netherlands. Haniyeh did address the conference via satellite.

Verhagen says in the letter that Germany, currently holding the EU presidency, is considering inviting Ziad Abu Amr to the foreign ministers meeting next week. Abu Amr is known as moderate and recognises the state of Israel. Like the Netherlands, the EU has decided to maintain no contacts with Hamas ministers.