Annan meets with leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia on Middle East issues
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan met today with the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia in their respective countries as part of a two-week trip that began in France and will also take him to Tunisia and Pakistan.
Mr. Annan had a working breakfast in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. They discussed developments in Syria and Lebanon, Iraq, and the Middle East peace process, according to a UN spokesman.
The Secretary-General then left Cairo for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he met this afternoon with King Abdullah for more than an hour. They had a wide-ranging discussion and exchange of views on Iraq and on Syria and Lebanon, the spokesman said.
Mr. Annan also thanked Saudi Arabia for its support of the relief effort in Pakistan, including its bilateral contributions, which he said should serve as an example to other nations.
He attended a working dinner with the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud, and addressed a news conference afterwards.
Asked to comment on Saudi Arabia's efforts to fight terrorism, Mr. Annan said he discussed the topic with King Abdullah. "Saudi Arabia has itself been a victim of terror and in the discussions it is clear that not only is Saudi Arabia doing its part, but it is keen to cooperate with other governments to fight terrorism, and, in fact, has proposed the establishment of an intentional centre against terrorism."
Responding to a question on Saudi Arabia easing "tensions between Syria and the UN," he said that given its position as a regional leader "I would want Saudi Arabia to urge the Government of Syria to cooperate and cooperate fully" with Detlev Mehlis' UN-backed inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to get to the truth.
Asked about the situation in France, Mr. Annan said that during his stopover in Paris, he had discussed many topics with French President Jacques Chirac, who assured him "that his Government will do all that is required not only to establish calm, but to take steps to deal with some of the problems, grievances ad discrimination some of these people have suffered in the past."
The Secretary-General added: "There is a long historical reason for it."
Meanwhile, UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe said that Mr. Annan postponed plans to travel to Amman tomorrow after three international hotels were bombed there, killing dozens and injuring more than 100 others.
Amman had been added to his schedule after he cancelled a trip to Tehran in response to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for Israel to be "wiped off the map," a statement which the UN Security Council also condemned.