WEST BANK: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN MEETS PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT.
Record ID:
222978
WEST BANK: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN MEETS PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT.
- Title: WEST BANK: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN MEETS PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT.
- Date: 16th June 2001
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JUNE 16, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV/ZOOM/CU/PAN/GV: VARIOUS OF U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT SEATED AT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY BEFORE MEETING (3 SHOTS) 0.37 2. MV/PAN: U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, YASSER ARAFAT WALK IN TO NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER MEETING. 0.48 3. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN SAYING: "So it's important that we do everything to make sure that the ceasefire holds -- we do everything to implement it and move forward very quickly with the implementation of all aspects of the Mitchell report. I think we have an opportunity but a brief one, a fleeting opportunity to resolve this issue and we should seize the moment. If we don't seize it it may move away from us." 1.16 4. MV: CUTAWAY OF MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE 1.20 5. MCU: (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, YASSER ARAFAT SAYING: "Movement on the roads remains extremely difficult. It's impossible to move on any of the roads. Crossing into Jordan and Egypt is extremely difficult .... the roads are still blocked. 1.42 6. GV: WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 1.47 RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JUNE 16, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. GV/MV: VARIOUS OF HAMAS SUPPORTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING FOR THE RELEASE OF IBRAHIM GHOSHEH, WHO IS STRANDED IN AMMAN AIRPORT (4 SHOTS) 2.27 RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JUNE 16, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. MV/GV: VARIOUS OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ABU ALA/ OFFICIALS (2 SHOTS) 2.39 9. GV/CU: EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN GIRLS SCHOOL IN REFUGEE CAMP (2 SHOTS) 2.50 10. MV/GV: ANNAN TALKS TO TEACHER AT GIRL'S SCHOOL WITH STUDENT DEMONSTRATING COMPUTER/ ANNAN THROWING BALL TO STUDENTS (4 SHOTS) 3.32 11. MV/GV: STUDENTS SINGING AND CLAPPING/ ANNAN CLAPPING TO STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE/ MORE OF STUDENTS SINGING (3 SHOTS0 4.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 1st July 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVA5MMPVKO1K7FEWM4OVRTT3DANC
- Story Text: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called
on the international community to help rebuild lives following
a cessation of eight months of violence across Israel and the
Occupied Territories.
Annan said both Palestinians and Israelis should 'seize
the moment' saying that the blue-print for peace outlined in
the Mitchell report should continue to be the basis for
getting both sides to the negotiating table.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in
the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday (June 16) after
wrapping up a visit to Lebanon and then stopping over in
Amman.
The U.N. chief said in Beirut on Friday (June 16) that
Israel and the Palestinians had limited time to build upon the
U.S.-brokered ceasefire to end more than eight months of
violence and return to peace talks which stalled in late
September. He reiterated the need to act quickly after talks
with Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.
"So it's important that we do everything to make sure that
the ceasefire holds -- we do everything to implement it and
move forward very quickly with the implementation of all
aspects of the Mitchell report. I think we have an opportunity
but a brief one, a fleeting opportunity to resolve this issue
and we should seize the moment. If we don't seize it it may
move away from us," Annan said.
The ceasefire, brokered by CIA Director George Tenet, took
effect on Wednesday. Both Israeli and Palestinian leaders have
publicly committed themselves to working to make it succeed,
but it has been marred by shootings and mortar attacks.
Also Arafat charged Israel with failing to implement
crucial ceasefire steps mapped out by U.S. intelligence chief
George Tenet earlier this week.
"Unfortunately the situation is very difficult and nothing
has changed on the ground," Arafat said. "It's impossible to
move on any of the roads."
Israel began this week to move back tanks and ease
restrictions on Palestinian travel in the West Bank and Gaza
imposed since the start of a Palestinian uprising against
Israeli occupation in late September after peace talks
stalled.
But Palestinians maintain the measures have been cosmetic
and fail to alleviate the hardships of the wider Palestinian
population barred from jobs inside Israel.
Among the disaffected, Hamas activists held a
demonstration, demanding the release of Hamas leader Ibrahim
Ghosheh, who has been stranded at Amman airport for three
days, unable to enter Jordan.
Ibrahim Ghosheh, who is 67 years-old, spent a second night
in the airport's transit section after arriving on Thursday
(June 14) on a regular Qatari flight from Doha.
Jordan, which expelled Ghosheh and three other Hamas
leaders 18 months ago, denied him entry and asked him to leave
again on the same aircraft but the airline refused to take
him.
Libya and Yemen have offered to mediate between Jordan and
Qatar to end the standoff.
Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994,
cracked down on Hamas in August 1999, closing its offices in
Amman and detaining the leaders and two dozen members.
Continuing his visit to the West Bank, Annan met with
Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker, Ahmed Korei (Abu Ala)
before visiting a Palestinian refugee camp in Ramallah where
he joined in activities at a girl's school.
Earlier Annan said he had included in his discussions with
Yasser Arafat the plight of the people in refugee camps across
the territories.
"I began by referring to the suffering and the economic
deprivation of the people in the region. To end that we need
to move ahead very quickly with the peace process. We need to
work with the international community to come in with urgent
assistance, assistance that will help the people rebuild the
alliance and this will have to follow the effective
implementation of the Mitchell report that we have indicated.
The Mitchell report calls on the sides to uphold a
ceasefire followed by confidence-building measures and a
return to negotiations.
Annan is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon in Jerusalem later in the day.
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