United Nations, Apr 09: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has cancelled his proposed trip to Britain, France and Germany beginning today and instead would attend the European Union conference to be held in Greece next week to discuss post-war Iraq. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been invited to the Athens meeting which was originally meant as a ratification ceremony for ten mostly former Communist countries who are to join the Union in may next year. The meeting comes as Europeans press for wider role for the United Nations in the reconstruction of Iraq which the United States is resisting. Annan is pushing for a "leading role" for UN but Washington wants it to mainly concentrate on humanitarian side. Apparently, Annan feels that it would enable him to interact with a larger group countries without visiting each individual nation and give better sense of their collective thinking. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis had sent an invitation to Annan to attend the meeting, officials said.

The meeting will begin on April 16 but Annan is expected to attend only on April 17.

A UN spokesman said Annan has declined to attend a weekend meeting Putin is hosting in St Petersburg which French and German presidents would attend.

Bureau Report