Annan starts Middle East trip, meets with Ariel Sharon

3/14/2005 9:48:00 AM GMT

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan started on Sunday his Middle East trip with a visit to Jerusalem, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Mr. Annan’s trip is aimed at promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

The Secretary General is due to travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials.

During his meeting with Mr. Annan on Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the international peace plan for the Middle East won’t move forward unless the Palestinians stop their anti-Israel attacks.

Sharon only mentioned the Palestinian attacks, and ignored the Israeli non-stop offensive in the Palestinian occupied territories.

"Without genuine action by the Palestinians against terrorism, it will be unable to move anything forward,'' Sharon said at a meeting yesterday with Annan in Jerusalem.

A cease-fire is expected to be declared this week by Palestinian groups, which the Palestinian leader says will give way to Israel and the Palestinians to hold full-scale diplomatic talks, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

Also Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet approved dismantling all illegal settlements in the West Bank, a step required of Israel under the peace plan that is aimed at establishing a Palestinian state.

The United Nations is one of the "Quartet" of sponsors of the U.S.-backed "road map," peace plan that calls on Israel to dismantle settlement activity in the West Bank, and calls on the Palestinians to dismantle armed groups.

Annan will also to meet 30 world leaders attending the inauguration ceremonies of the new museum at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem memorial.

The presidents of Poland, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia, prime ministers of France, Italy and the Netherlands and several European foreign ministers are among the scheduled guests.

Previously, Israel accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency - the main UN body serving Palestinian refugees of allowing Palestinian fighters transport a rocket inside a UN ambulance car, but later backed off its claim.

Israel has been praising recently Mr. Annan's tough stance on the "Palestinian terrorism" and the UN’s role in resolving a border dispute with Lebanon after Israel pulled out its forces from the country in 2000.