Activities of Secretary-General in Serbia, 23-24 July

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Belgrade on the afternoon of Monday 23 July on a flight from Podgorica.

The Secretary-General first held talks with President Tomislav Nikolić, and then with then-Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, the President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Secretary-General and Mr. Jeremić spoke at a press stakeout after their talks, and the Secretary-General said the United Nations was strongly committed to supporting Serbia and the rest of the region in consolidating the remarkable shifts of the past decade.  He also said he was sure he would work together with Mr. Jeremić to address global challenges while rising above national interests.

Next, the Secretary-General met the then-Prime Minister-designate and Interior Minister, Ivica Dačić.

Later, the Secretary-General took a stroll through Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park with Mr. Jeremić before dining with their respective delegations and attending a reception hosted by the Minister.

On the morning of Tuesday, 24 July, the Secretary-General met with the staff and leaders of the United Nations Office in Belgrade and the United Nations country team, and also United Nations staff.

He then visited the Sustainable Work Initiative for a Healthier Tomorrow (SWIFT) Centre, a Roma recycling cooperative on the outskirts of Belgrade.  (See Press Release SG/SM/14428.)

The Secretary-General and Madam Ban left Belgrade for Pristina later that morning.