SWITZERLAND: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN HAS BEEN MEETING THE SWISS PRESIDENT IN BERN
Record ID:
222999
SWITZERLAND: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN HAS BEEN MEETING THE SWISS PRESIDENT IN BERN
- Title: SWITZERLAND: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN HAS BEEN MEETING THE SWISS PRESIDENT IN BERN
- Date: 29th March 2001
- Summary: (U4) BERN, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 29, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR FINANCE MINISTRY (VENUE OF NEWSCONFERENCE) 0.04 2. LV PULL IN SLV/SV/LV INTERIOR, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AND SWISS PRESIDENT MORITZ LEUENBERGER WALK INTO NEWS CONFERENCE; PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS; ANNAN AND LEUENBERGER AT PODIUM (3 SHOTS) 0.23 3. MCU (English) ANNAN "We did discuss the difficult situation in the Middle East, the concern about the violence in the Palestinian occupied territories, the relationship between Palestine and Israel. The need to work with the parties to end the violence, to end the violence, ease the economic squeeze on the Palestinians and get them to the table, these issues are interlinked. Of course at the Arab summit there was quite a bit of anger from the Arab leaders, from the Arab population as to what is happening to the Palestinians, and of course we also discussed the issue of Iraq, where the leaders in Amman first of all tried to bridge the differences between Kuwait and Iraq, and there was general disatisfaction with the longstanding U.N. sanctions against Iraq and its impact on the population, but I think there was also a sense that Iraq has to comply with U.N. resolutions and we will see where we go from here." 1.44 4. LV ANNAN AND LEUENBERGER AT PODIUM 1.47 5. MCU (English) ANNAN "First of all let me offer my deepest sympathy to the families of those who are still in captivity. I have lots of admiration and courage for these colleagues of mine who go to difficult and distant places around the world to help the poor and the needy, and they do not deserve to be treated this way. Yesterday I saw the President of Somalia in Jordan and we talked about this and we have asked them work with us to get them to be released; some have been released, as you have indicated, and I hope the remaining four will be released unharmed, I hope all the hostages will be released unharmed." 2.34 6. LV OF PRESS CONFERENCE 2.37 7. SV/SLV/LV EXTERIOR - VARIOUS OF ANNAN GETTING INTO CAR, CAR DRIVING AWAY (3 SHOTS) 3.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th April 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BERN, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVA4R1BJ8E9BITC0LFCJ5FL6IYFS
- Story Text: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has been
meeting the Swiss president in Bern as part of an official
visit to the neutral state.
At a news conference at the Swiss Finance ministry on
Thursday (March 29) Annan spoke of the need for the Israelis
and Palestinians to work to end the continuing violence in the
Middle East.
"We did discuss the difficult situation in the Middle
East, the concern about the violence in the Palestinian
occupied territories, the relationship between Palestine and
Israel. The need to work with the parties to end the violence,
to end the violence, ease the economic squeeze on the
Palestinians and get them to the table, these issues are
interlinked."
Tension remains high in Israel and the Palestinian
territories as six months of violence that has killed at least
359 Palestinians, 13 Israeli Arabs and 69 other Israelis
continues.
Annan said that delegates at the recent Arab League
summit in Amman had expressed their anger at the treatment of
the Palestinians, and also their "disatisfaction" at the
longterm U.N. sanctions against Iraq.
"Of course at the Arab summit there was quite a bit of
anger from the Arab leaders, from the Arab population as to
what is happening to the Palestinians, and of course we also
discussed the issue of Iraq, where the leaders in Amman first
of all tried to bridge the differences between Kuwait and
Iraq, and there was general disatisfaction with the
longstanding U.N. sanctions against Iraq and its impact on the
population, but I think there was also a sense that Iraq has
to comply with U.N. resolutions and we will see where we go
from here."
He also offered his sympathy to the families of aid
workers kidnapped in Somalia and hoped the remaining captives
would be released soon.
"First of all let me offer my deepest sympathy to the
families of those who are still in captivity. I have lots of
admiration and courage for these colleagues of mine who go to
difficult and distant places around the world to help the poor
and the needy, and they do not deserve to be treated this
way," he said.
"Yesterday I saw the President of Somalia in Jordan and
we talked about this and we have asked them work with us to
get them to be released; some have been released, as you have
indicated, and I hope the remaining four will be released
unharmed, I hope all the hostages will be released unharmed, "
Annan added.
The four aid workers were among nine foreigners abducted
in Mogadishu on Tuesday, five of whom were later freed and
evacuated to neighbouring Kenya on Wednesday.
The four U.N. workers -- British U.N. security staff Bill
Condie and Roger Carter, Belgian U.N. Children's Fund
(UNICEF) staffer Peter Lamotte and French World Health
Organisation worker Mohamed Mohamedi -- are believed held by
warlord and SRRC member Muse Sudi Yalahow.
The United Nations said on Thursday it was in contact
with all relevant parties to secure freedom for the four but
said the latest instability on Mogadishu had complicated its
humanitarian operations in the impoverished country.
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