|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 13 February 2005 |
 |
|
 |
World |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Heavily guarded International security conference Saturday (AFP) An annual international security conference opened here on Friday with the emphasis on building peace in the Middle East and the role of the United Nations. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is the guest of honour at the heavily guarded Munich Conference on Security Policy which, after being dominated by the US-led invasion of Iraq for the past two years, has as its theme "Peace through Dialogue". German President Horst Koehler set the tone with a speech at the opening night dinner in which he appealed to industrialised countries, including Germany, to spend 0.7 percent of their Gross Domestic Product on development aid for poorer nations. "This promise was first made more than 30 years ago," Koehler said. "But between the promise and reality there is a hole of almost 100 billion dollars per year. "We must do everything possible to edge nearer to this goal every year." US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was expected to address the conference Saturday, organisers said, after a last-minute change of mind about attending. Rumsfeld expressed an interest in coming only after Germany decided on Thursday it would take no action on the complaint filed in Germany against him and other top officials seeking an investigation into their role in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal in Iraq. Annan meanwhile is due to give a speech on Sunday entitled "A More Secure World: The Future Role of the United Nations". The UN chief will also be presented with the conference's Peace Plaque, awarded to international personalities who promote special peace initiatives. New York Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton is also due to appear on Sunday. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
