Zimbabwe's Minister of Foreign affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi on Saturday denied reports that the government had barred former UN chief Kofi Annan from visiting the country to assess its humanitarian situation, state news agency New Ziana reported.

Failure by Annan and his team to make prior consultations with the Zimbabwean government regarding the timing and schedule of the travel had led to a postponement of the trip by the government, Mumbengegwi said.

"Mr. Annan is a man of great experience. He knows the importance of prior consultations and preparation for high-level visits such as the one he was proposing," New Ziana cited him as saying.

The former UN chief had misrepresented the position of the government of Zimbabwe, Mumbengegwi said, adding the Zimbabwean government had asked Annan and his team to reschedule the trip to a "mutually acceptable date."

"It is quite clear that no meaningful assessment of the humanitarian situation could be undertaken in the few hours the delegation intended to be in Zimbabwe," the minister said.

Zimbabwe has just undertaken a thorough joint assessment with the UN World Food Program (WFP) and the UN Country Team, he added.

"It is on this basis that Mr. Annan was advised to postpone the visit to allow for responses to be made to the consolidated appeal based on the joint assessment of the humanitarian situation by the government, WFP and UN Country Team," he said.

According to Annan, his delegation had intended to make a first-hand assessment of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, which is undergoing political and economic crisis.

But the planned visit had to be canceled as the the delegation was denied entry visas by the Zimbabwean government, reports said Saturday.

Mumbengegwi said Annan and his team were still welcome to visit the country at a mutually agreed date.

(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2008)