Annan meets Habibie over E. Timor

Annan meets Habibie over E. Timor

LONDON (Reuters): United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday met Indonesian Vice President B.J. Habibie for an hour to discuss East Timor.

Annan said he would later also meet Prime Minister Antonio Guterres of Portugal,

"I would hope that we will be able to move the process forward as a result of these talks," Annan said, adding that for "various reasons" he would not be able to chair direct discussions between the two leaders during a summit of Asian and European leaders in London.

"We are not going to be able to sit across the table this time but at least we are talking. I am talking to both of them and we are moving the process forward," he said, declining to give further details.

Annan was speaking after brief talks with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A foreign office spokesman said Cook would raise the question of East Timor with Habibie and Foreign Minister Ali Alatas during the summit.

Last year, Annan appointed a special representative for East Timor to speed up attempts to find an internationally acceptable solution to the former Portuguese colony which was integrated as Indonesia's 27th province in 1976.

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