ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN JORDAN, 30 - 31 AUGUST

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Jordan in the afternoon of Wednesday, 30 August.

The following morning, in the Royal Palace at the Dead Sea, he met with King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, and briefed him on his visits to Lebanon and Israel to seek support and implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).  They also discussed the dire economic and social situation in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Earlier, the Secretary-General held talks with Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Abdul Ilah Khatib, which focused on implementation of resolution 1701.  They also discussed the need to move the peace process forward on all fronts.

Prior to leaving Jordan, the Secretary-General held a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister, at which he repeated his call for Israel to lift its blockade on Lebanon, and to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon as the international force builds up in the days and weeks ahead.  In response to a question about Israel’s use of cluster bombs, the Secretary-General said “those kinds of weapons shouldn’t be used in civilian and populated areas … and we need to move very quickly to disarm [the unexploded ordnance]”.

On Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-General departed to Damascus, capital of Syria.