Vijay Nambiar heads UN team to defuse crisis

New Delhi, July 14: Mr Vijay Nambiar, who was recently appointed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Political Advisor, is heading a three-member special team of senior UN officials to West Asia in an attempt to defuse the crisis there.

The team which includes, besides Mr Nambiar, UN envoy to Middle East, Alvaro de Soto, and Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, will first visit Cairo to meet Egyptian officials and consult Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting, a senior official said here today.

The team is also expected to travel to Israel, occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, and Syria. Other stops will be added as needed during the week-long trip.

''Mr. Nambiar will emphasise to all parties the Secretary-General's call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict,'' the official said.

''He will also reiterate the Secretary-General's message to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,'' the official added.

UNI