SNP rejects Annan visit claims

Jan 27 2009

The Scottish Government has rejected opposition claims that a proposed visit by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan as part of the Homecoming celebrations were "fantasy".

Labour claims that an offer by Mr Annan to give a speech later in the year refers to a lecture he is delivering at Adam Smith College in Fife in the spring - at the request of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. But a spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond insisted that talks are taking place with Mr Annan's office about a separate proposed visit in the autumn.

"We've been in contact with his office about possible dates in September around the time of Burns World Federation Conference in Edinburgh," he said. "The Adam Smith event is not something we had any knowledge of and had no reason to have any knowledge of."