U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today he will be meeting with Iraqi authorities in Brussels next week to discuss their priorities and needs. Annan noted that U.N. staff are already in place in Iraq to help authorities draft a new constitution. "We are going to make it as inclusive as possible," he told reporters. Annan also addressed questions on his special envoy's recent trip to Syria to meet with President Bashar Al-Assad. Special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen was "assured" by Assad that Syria would fully comply with Security Council resolution 1559, the secretary-general said. Annan added that the verification team, which was recently sent back to Lebanon to ensure that the Syrian pullout was complete, is "fully operational."
