NEW YORK - The UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, expressing concern about arms levels in Cyprus ahead of planned direct talks between Cypriot leaders, yesterday recommended maintaining UN peacekeepers there until year-end.
Mr Annan said in a pessimistic report to the UN Security Council that the presence of the 1,200 UN peacekeepers "remains indispensable in order to maintain the ceasefire between the two sides, which is a prerequisite for achieving the settlement sought by the Security Council."