Disengagement Plan/Sharm el-Sheikh Summit/Situation in Lebanon - Spokesman's Office (excerpts)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, February 7, 2005

…

ANNAN LOOKS FORWARD TO EARLY IMPLEMENTATION
OF DISENGAGEMENT PLAN IN PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The Secretary-General said this morning that the coming year is an important one for the cause of peace in the Middle East, which began auspiciously with the successful holding of the Palestinian presidential elections.
Speaking to the opening session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Secretary-General said that the meeting, scheduled for tomorrow in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders is “a welcome initiative.”
He said he was sure that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would move swiftly to act on his commitments to restructure the Palestinian security forces, strengthen Palestinian institutions and carry forward democratic reform.
The Secretary-General also looks forward to the early implementation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan, in coordination with the Palestinian leadership.

NO U.N. OFFICIAL TO ATTEND MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT AT SHARM EL SHEIKH

There will be no UN representative at the summit in Sharm el Shaikh.
The Sharm el Sheikh summit is an Egyptian initiative. There will be Israeli and Palestinian officials, as well as Jordanians, but no member of the Quartet will be there.
Kieran Prendergast, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, is currently in London where he is attending a meeting of the Middle East Quartet envoys in preparation for a possible Quartet meeting next month.

…

U.N. ENVOY MEETS LEBANESE AND SYRIAN OFFICIALS

Terje Roed Larsen, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 is meeting with both Lebanese and Syrian officials for the first time since assuming his new responsibilities.
Yesterday and today, he was in Damascus, where he met with Foreign Minister Farouk al Shara and Deputy Foreign Minister Wald Muallen.
He is now headed to Beirut, where he will meet with senior officials including President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Omar Kamari and the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

…

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162 – press/media only
Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

Disengagement Plan/Sharm el-Sheikh Summit/Situation in Lebanon – Spokesman’s Office (excerpts)