Middle East peace talks should not wait for calm to set in, Annan says

Talks between Palestinians and Israelis should not wait for any period of calm to set in, because it is "when people are dying that peace talks are needed most," United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told Swedish lawmakers on Wednesday.

Annan's remarks came in an address to a session of the Swedish Parliament, which was followed by a question-and-answer session with Parliament members.

In response to a question on the future role of the UN, the Secretary-General reiterated one of the major themes of his Nobel Lecture, stressing that the world body would put people at the centre of its work. Pointing to the fight against poverty as another key priority, he underscored the importance of next year's conferences on financing for development in Monterrey, Mexico, and sustainable development, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In a brief press encounter afterwards, the Secretary-General reiterated his position on the possibility that the United States may extend its war on terrorism to Iraq. "My position on that has been clear - that I don't think it would be wise and I should not advise it," he said.

While in Stockholm, Mr. Annan also paid tribute to his predecessor, Dag Hammarskj?ld of Sweden, who had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously in 1961.