UNITED NATIONS, July 17: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday asked the Security Council to discuss a package of practical actions aimed at stemming the spiralling violence in the Middle East, as well as the possibility of a new stabilisation force for the region, following meetings with the Group of Eight countries in Saint Petersburg where he also called on the parties to avoid civilian casualties.

Mr Annan also told reporters following his meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair that he would continue efforts to address the situation in Lebanon with other leaders and predicted that several countries in Saint Petersburg would work with the UN to get ‘a package of actions, not exhortations, a package that is action-oriented, that is practical, that requires the parties to release their abductees, Israel to stop its retaliatory actions and to pursue this idea of a stabilisation force”.

The aim would be to “move very quickly and appeal to governments once that package is approved to make sure that we have the troops, well-trained, well-equipped troops that can go in quite quickly”, he said.

Mr Annan said the team he dispatched to the region would report to the Security Council on its return.