ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN BELGIUM, 25 AUGUST

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Brussels on Friday morning, 25 August, to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the European Union on contributions to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The Secretary-General met that day with Guy Verhofstadt, Prime Minister of Belgium; Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Foreign Minister of Germany; Erkki Tuomioja, Foreign Minister of Finland, whose country currently held the presidency of the European Union; and Javier Solana, High Representative for the European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy.

In the afternoon, he held a press conference with Mr. Solana, Mr. Tuomioja and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Union Commissioner for External Relations.  The Secretary-General praised Europe for “providing the backbone” of the expanded UNIFIL.

He said that the offers of troops were sufficient for more than half of the expanded Force.  The Secretary-General added that France would continue to lead the Force until the end of February 2007, when Italy would take over its control.  Meanwhile, an Italian general would head a new strategic cell that would be set up at United Nations Headquarters.

The Secretary-General also noted that he would be travelling onward to Lebanon and Israel, before visiting other countries in the region.  He said that “a successful implementation and stability in the region are critically dependent on the support of the regional players.”

The Secretary-General left Belgium that evening.