SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT MIDDLE EAST IN FEBRUARY

9 January 1998

Press Release
SG/SM/6432

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT MIDDLE EAST IN FEBRUARY

19980109 Following is the text of a statement attributable to a spokesman for the Secretary-General:

In the second week of February, the Secretary-General will travel to the Middle East, including Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. Besides meeting with the leaders of the region to discuss issues relevant to the activities and objectives of the United Nations and its role in the region, the Secretary-General will also visit United Nations peacekeeping missions there, as well as the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip. It is also envisaged that, while in Lebanon, the Secretary-General will inaugurate the new headquarters of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

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