Friday July 28, 2006
Rice steals the limelight at conference
IT WAS supposed to be a landmark document – the five-year Asean-US Action Plan – but it was United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who stole the limelight.
Her arrival at Asean’s Post-Ministerial Conference, hours after her sojourn in Lebanon, meant that reporters were more eager to know about the latest plan to end the violence there than the proceedings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Rice, who is on her first visit to Malaysia, came to the meeting straight from the Subang airport after landing at 2.30pm in a special US air force jet.
She was immaculately dressed and looked fresh in her pink jacket and white pants.
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THE PIANIST: Rice entertains delegates of the Asean meetings at the gala dinner hosted by Syed Hamid last night with a 10 minute piano performance. — Bernamapic |
However, journalists were disappointed when Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar chose to end the session after only three questions were fielded.
Replying to a question, Rice said she was “willing and ready” to return to West Asia at any time for further talks with the leaders involved in the stand-off.
“I believe that we can do more towards a sustainable ceasefire that can end the violence,” she said.
Rice said it was important for the Lebanese government to be able to control “all forces and arms”, and there should be no militias.
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