| Annan names Norwegian
diplomat as south Lebanon envoy BEIRUT - UN
chief Kofi Annan has named Norwegian diplomat Geir Pederson, involved in the 1993 autonomy
talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as his personal representative for southern
Lebanon.
The United Nations, in a statement released in Beirut on Thursday, said Annan has informed
the Security Council of his choice of Pederson to succeed Staffan de Mistura, who has been
given an Iraq posting.
Pederson's mission will be to help reduce tension along the "blue line"
demarcated by the United Nations as a border in the wake of Israel's 2000 withdrawal from
southern Lebanon after more than 20 years of occupation.
He has for the past two years worked on Iraq and the Middle East peace process with the UN
political department.
In 1993, he was in Norway's team at Oslo negotiations that led to the Israeli-Palestinian
autonomy accords. Previously, he served as Oslo's representative to the Palestinian
Authority. |
