The world's top diplomats joined officials of Iraq and its neighbors Tuesday to open a conference to discuss the future of the war-torn country.

The meeting, hosted by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, brought together representatives of over 20 countries and organizations, including Iraq and its neighbors, the Group of Eight, China, the United Nations and the European Union.

The meeting is expected to last for about two hours as each delegate will have three to five minutes to make a statement, Abul Gheit said.

The morning session will be followed by a lunch hosted by Abul Gheit in honor of the delegates at 1 pm (1100 GMT). Another session would be held in the afternoon if needed.

A final communique is expected to be endorsed at the end of the meeting, followed by a news conference by Abul Gheit at 4 pm (1400 GMT).