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Annan plans key Mideast trip
24/08/2006 07:29 - (SA)
United Nations - UN chief Kofi Annan will embark later this week on a major Middle East trip that will include stops in Lebanon, Israel and likely Syria and Iran to further implementation of a UN resolution on Lebanon, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the secretary general would begin the tour after attending Friday's special meeting of EU foreign ministers on the proposed UN force for Lebanon in Brussels.
Dujarric said the main purpose of the trip was to further "full implementation of 1701," a reference to the UN security council resolution agreed August 11.
That resolution authorises the UN force in Lebanon to be expanded from the current 2 000 troops to up to 15 000, to police a fragile ceasefire between Israeli forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters.
On Friday, the UN chief is to attend the EU meeting in Brussels to encourage troop contributions to the expanded UN interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the spokesperson said.
From the Belgian capital, Annan will make stops in Lebanon and Israel to meet with senior officials "to encourage them to implement fully 1701," Dujarric said.
The UN chief will also meet with officials of the Palestinian authority and "will also travel to Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and also likely Syria and Iran," the spokesperson said.
- AFP
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