UN chief to visit five nations in Europe

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will depart from New York on Saturday for a five-nation European tour, dealing with issues such as the anti-poverty targets and chemical weapons.

Ban will begin his tour in San Marino on Sunday, with a meeting with the foreign minister. The next day, he will take part in the investiture of the newly-elected captains regent, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here at the daily news briefing on Wednesday.

"On Tuesday, 2 April, he will meet with the prime minister of Andorra and the president of the parliament, before addressing the members of the parliament," Nesirky said.

Then the UN chief will meet with Prince Albert, the minister of state and other government officials of Monaco.

He then travels to Madrid, the capital city of Spain, where on Thursday he will launch an event for the 1,000 days of action for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as meet with the crown prince and prime minister.

Agreed at a UN summit in 2000, the MDGs set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a "Global Partnership for Development."

The last couple of days, the UN chief will travel to the Netherlands, where he will meet with Queen Beatrix and Dutch government ministers.

Ban will conclude his trip on Monday where he will attend the opening session of the third Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention. He will also meet with the president and members of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and with the presidents of the Hague-based international criminal courts and tribunals, according to Nesirky.