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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (L) shakes hands with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas following a joint press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops as UN chief Kofi Annan demanded an immediate end to their offensive in Gaza where more than 200 people have been killed in two months.(Xinhua/AFP) Photo Gallery >>>

   RAMALLAH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived on Wednesday afternoon in the West Bank city of Ramallah to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

    Annan arrived in Ramallah by a UN helicopter that landed on the helicopters' runway at al-Muqata'a, the president's headquarters in the city.

    He was received by Abbas and other Palestinian officials.

    Both Abbas and Annan are scheduled to give a joint news conference at the end of their meeting that would discuss the latest developments in the region, according to officials at Abbas' office in Ramallah.

    Annan came to Ramallah from Israel. It is part of his Mideast regional tour after 34-day-long Israel-Hezbollah fighting, which has already taken him to Lebanon and Israel and will also take him to Syria or Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. Enditem