SG: I have just had a good discussion with President [Omer Hassan] Al-Bashir of Sudan. We obviously discussed the situation in Darfur and the measures that need to be taken to bring the situation under control: the need for the cease fire to be respected by both parties, including the rebels, both parties are to respect the commitments they signed in [inaudible]. We need to make sure there is security for people to go back to their villages to begin preparing for the next crop. We need to ensure that the international community stays engaged, not only in the Darfur situation, but also in the implementation of the Naivasha agreements.

We discussed the UN deployment of troops to southern Sudan to work with the government and the [SPLMA] in the implementing of the agreement they signed in Nairobi. But of course, we also insist that a political agreement should be reached in Darfur between the rebels and the government, and they did give me the indication that they will work very hard on that, but all of us, the international community and the parties in Sudan, have to work on this.

Q: How was your discussion with President [Bashar Al-]Assad?

SG: I had a very constructive discussion with President Assad. He reconfirmed his commitment to [Security Council] resolution 1559 and that the withdrawal has begun and it continues. He is working out a timetable, in consultation with the Lebanese authorities, and will withdraw his troops completely into Syria. Not just the troops, but also the security services as well as the logistical and material equipment to Syria.

I will be sending Terje Roed-Larsen, my Special Envoy, to the region in the first week of April and I will expect him to come back with a well defined and credible time table, if I don't get it before then, but Mr. Larsen will bring it. We have agreed that by the time he gets there the time table will be ready. We will press ahead with the full implementation of the resolution.

Q: What about a time table for a deployment to Darfur?

SG: The proposal is before the Security Council which is going to adopt it. Once they have adopted it, it will take us a couple of months to assemble the troops and get them to the theater.

Q: Are you satisfied with the implementation of 1559 so far?

SG: About 4,000 troops have moved into Syria and the others, some 10,000, are in the Bekaa valley and we need to see all of them withdrawn. President Assad has confirmed that that is his intention and he will implement 1559 in full. We are going to work with him to ensure that it is done. That is why my Envoy will be coming back in the beginning of April to follow-up. Of course, once I get the time table I will report to the Security Council which is actively seized of the matter.