{"id":212382,"date":"2005-03-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T20:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=212382"},"modified":"2019-03-12T20:25:28","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T20:25:28","slug":"auto-insert-212382","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-212382\/","title":{"rendered":"SecGen activities in London, 1-2 March – Press release"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN UNITED KINGDOM, 1 – 2 MARCH<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in London early in the morning of Tuesday, 1 March, where he addressed the London Conference in Support of the Palestinian Authority, convened by United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair.<\/p><\/div>\n

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“The sense of expectation is palpable”, the Secretary-General said.  “There is a feeling that, after long years of suffering, bitterness and despair, better days may lie ahead.”<\/p><\/div>\n

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Referring to Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke just before him, the Secretary-General said, “Mr. President, you have acted courageously to restrain violence, and you have articulated, with great clarity and purpose, a vision of your people’s future based on dignity and justice.”<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Secretary-General focused on three areas of Palestinian reform.  Good governance is crucial, he said, and security is likewise a fundamental factor.  Finally, economic development is essential in its own right but can also make a vital contribution to governance and security.<\/p><\/div>\n

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“At long last,” he concluded, “we can all sense a new wave of movement.  I urge everyone to engage, do the hard work, and turn today’s opening into a real end to the conflict.”  (See Press Release <\/span>SG\/SM\/9743<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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In the margins of the meeting, the Secretary-General met with Amre Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League.  They spoke privately for a few minutes before discussing with their delegations the situation in Iraq and the efforts to form a transitional government there.  They also talked briefly of the situation in the Sudan before moving on to Lebanon’s relations with Syria.<\/p><\/div>\n

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He then met with the Foreign Minister of France, Michel Barnier, with whom he also discussed the situation between Lebanon and Syria.  The Secretary-General raised the mission he sent to Lebanon under Irish Deputy Police Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald to look into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.  They went on to discuss Côte d’Ivoire, after which the Foreign Minister asked about preparations for the September Summit at the General Assembly.  After touching on Iraq, they then talked one on one.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Secretary-General then had the opportunity to meet with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.  In brief statements to the press afterwards they indicated the breadth of their discussions:  Â鶹APP reform, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Lebanon, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan and Nepal.  On the subject of the London meeting they were both attending, the Secretary-General praised the Palestinians for having handled their transition “extremely well and competently”, adding that he hoped that the meeting would “add to the momentum that has been gathering”.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Secretary of State said that members of the Middle East Quartet, consisting of the European Union, the Russian Federation, the Â鶹APP and the United States, would be meeting later in the day to talk about how the international community could support the process that is under way “in this moment of hope”.  On Â鶹APP reform, she said that the United States wants the Â鶹APP to be a strong Organization, “an Organization that is fit and ready for the challenges of the twenty-first century”, and that she looked forward to working with the Secretary-General to make that a reality.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Secretary-General then attended a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair for heads of delegations participating in the Palestinian meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n

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After lunch, the Secretary-General joined the other three members of the Quartet, Condoleezza Rice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana.  Mr. Solana was accompanied by European Union Council President Jean Asselborn and European Union Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner.  At the end of the one-hour meeting, they issued a statement that, among other things, urged the full implementation of the recent Sharm el-Sheik understandings, welcomed the outcome of the London meeting to support Palestinian institution building and reiterated that a full and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza should be undertaken in a manner consistent with the <\/span>Road Map<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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The Secretary-General then met with Tony Blair.  Their talks touched on Security Council reform, the situation in Iraq, the Prime Minister’s Africa initiative and Lebanese-Syrian relations.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Returning to his hotel, the Secretary-General met with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.  They agreed on the importance of follow-through on the important agreements reached that day at the London Conference.  The Secretary-General asked about future elections, on which the Â鶹APP was providing technical assistance.  They discussed the prospects for the Palestinian economy, and the importance of freedom of movement for Palestinians to improving the economic situation.  The Secretary-General noted that the revised route of the separation barrier in the West Bank still encroaches on a substantial amount of Palestinian land.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Secretary-General returned to New York on Wednesday, 2 March.<\/p><\/div>\n

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