RIYADH, 6 November 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will hold talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who will arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday. Before embarking on his trip to the Middle East, Annan will visit Paris for a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac tomorrow. From there, he will go to Egypt, Tunisia and Pakistan in addition to the Kingdom.
“During his stay in the Kingdom, Annan will hold talks with many officials,” Deema Azem, a spokeswoman of the local chapter of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said yesterday. She said that the talks would focus on the Middle East, including regional stability, the peace process, Iraq and Syria as well as other issues of common concern.
Annan is also expected to discuss with Saudi officials different projects being carried out in the Kingdom by various UN agencies.
The UN chief will attend a reception in his honor on Thursday at the UN House where he will also hold a press conference. He will leave the Kingdom on Friday morning.
