Annan says there is a "general readiness" to convene Middle East summit
13 October -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is on a peacemaking mission in the Middle East, told reporters in Jerusalem today that there is a "general readiness" to convene a summit meeting among the region's leaders.
Asked by a reporter about the prospects for such a meeting, Mr. Annan said he had been "in constant contact with the leaders involved, and there is a general readiness to meet." He said that he was awaiting word from Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestinian Authority.
Mr. Annan then headed from Jerusalem to Gaza to make a final appeal to President Arafat to accept the invitation to attend a summit this weekend in Egypt, according to a United Nations spokesman.
"The Secretary-General feels that President Arafat is as determined as all others to end the chaos, stop the killing and save the people from further suffering," spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.
Before heading to Gaza, the Secretary-General spent the day in Jerusalem on the phone with officials from both the Israeli and Palestinian sides -- including President Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak -- as well as regional leaders and other interested parties.
Mr. de Almeida e Silva said that the Secretary-General would encourage both sides to impose a cessation of hostilities in the period leading up to and during the summit, "as is normal under these circumstances."
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