ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN EGYPT, 5 SEPTEMBER
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived from Saudi Arabia at Al Nouzha International Airport in Alexandria, Egypt, on Tuesday morning, 5 September, and went straight into talks with President Hosni Mubarak at Ras El-Tin Palace. They discussed a wide range of topics, including the importance of full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
The Secretary-General briefed the President on his current tour, which started in Brussels on 25 August and which had taken him to Lebanon, Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Secretary-General reviewed his efforts to secure the release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, and to lift the Israeli blockade on Lebanon. They also discussed the situation in Iraq and the Sudan, and the status of the talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. The Secretary-General raised the issue of the Counter-Terrorism Convention and said he was urging all Member States to sign it as soon as possible.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit then hosted a working lunch for the Secretary-General and his delegation. They continued the discussion on the implementation of resolution 1701 and stressed the importance of lifting the Israeli blockade on Lebanon. They also discussed the Arab League request for a Security Council meeting at ministerial level in the month of September to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
Following those meetings, he held a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister, in which he said he was leaving the region quite satisfied with the discussions that he had had. He said that he was convinced that the countries in the region would work for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 and added, “The ceasefire is fragile, but I believe we are taking steps to consolidate it.”
When asked about Darfur, he said it was at a “very critical stage” and again reiterated his position regarding the need for the consent and cooperation of the Sudanese Government for the United Nations operation there. He went on to say that the international community has been feeding and helping about 3 million people in camps and elsewhere in Darfur, and if it were forced to leave because of lack of security or lack of access to the people, then what happens? “The Government”, he said, “will have to assume responsibility for doing this and, if it doesn’t succeed, it will have lots of questions to answer to the rest of the world.” He again said that the international forces -– the United Nations forces -- were going to help the Sudanese people, to help the Government protect and assist them. “We are not going there to invade. We have no other intentions”, said the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General’s third and last meeting in Alexandria was with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Amre Moussa. In addition to the situation in Lebanon and the need to secure full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, the Secretary-General’s talks with Mr. Moussa dealt with the Arab initiative to revive the peace process and the request by the League of Arab States for a ministerial meeting of the Security Council, a tentative date for which has been set -- 21 September 2006.
They also discussed the situation in Darfur, following adoption of Security Council resolution 1706, and in view of the recent announcement by the Government of the Sudan that it would not allow the deployment of a United Nations force.
Mr. Moussa briefed the Secretary-General on the latest developments in Somalia. They also reviewed the situation in Iraq.
The Secretary-General departed Alexandria later in the afternoon for Ankara, Turkey, where he arrived in the early evening.