Activities of Secretary-General in Austria, 28-29 August

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon‑taek, arrived in Vienna on the evening of Wednesday, 28 August.

On Thursday morning, 29 August, the Secretary-General had a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger.

He then attended a ceremony at City Hall during which he was given an award by the Mayor of Vienna, Michael Häupl, on behalf of the Vienna Provincial Government.  The Secretary-General accepted the award on behalf of United Nations staff.  After the ceremony, the Secretary-General spoke to reporters.

From City Hall, the Secretary-General transferred to the Hofburg Palace to meet Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Werner Faymann.  After their meeting, the Secretary-General briefly spoke to reporters.  He took this opportunity to apologize for the inconvenience caused to President Fischer and his Government for having to cut short his visit to Austria, including participation in the European Forum in Alpbach, because of the situation in Syria.

The Secretary-General left Vienna, accompanied by Madam Ban, around noon that day to return New York via Munich.  They arrived in New York that same evening, 29 August.