In a statement issued through his spokesman, Annan, currently on a tour in Europe, described this development as "a significant turning point as Liberia strives to move from war to peace."

Annan called on the Liberian people to build on the momentum generated by Taylor's decision and work together in the national interest and in a spirit of reconciliation and mutual accommodation in order to achieve an early comprehensive peace agreement.

As a first step to that end, he said, the Liberian warring parties should elaborate an inclusive and orderly transitional arrangement as envisaged in a truce agreement reached by them on June 17.

During a visit to Nigeria this weekend, Taylor accepted an asylum offer from Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo for a "safehaven." But he has insisted that he would leave his war-torn country after the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force.

In his statement, Annan did not mention whether Taylor should go to Sierra Leone to face war crimes charges after his step-down.

Taylor was indicted earlier for war crimes by a UN-backed special court in the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, for his alleged role in that country's bloody 10-year civil war.

Also on Monday, UN spokesperson Hua Jiang declined to confirm whether Annan had played a role in persuading Taylor to go.

In the meantime, she said, the war crimes court in Sierra Leoneis independent from the United Nations and it would be a matter between the Nigerian government and the court over the fate of Taylor.

(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2003)