TOP UN ENVOY ON MYANMAR KICKS OFF TRIP TO RUSSIA, EUROPE

TOP UN ENVOY ON MYANMAR KICKS OFF TRIP TO RUSSIA, EUROPE
New York, Jul 23 2007 4:00PM
Arriving in Moscow today, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, began a weeklong trip that will also take him to several European capitals.

In Russia, Mr. Gambari is scheduled to hold consultations with senior Government officials, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.

He will then stop in Paris, Brussels and London for additional meetings with Government and European Union counterparts.

Mr. Gambari will also visit Geneva to confer with other UN officials before returning to New York next weekend, and all of his consultations are taking place within the context of the Secretary-General's good offices mandate for Myanmar.

Earlier this month, he visited China, Asian and Japan for talks with officials.

When Mr. Gambari was appointed Special Adviser in May, the Secretary-General's spokesperson said in a statement that Mr. Ban "looks forward to the cooperation of the Government of Myanmar and all relevant parties to the national reconciliation process, with a view to making tangible progress towards the restoration of democracy and the protection of human rights."
2007-07-23 00:00:00.000

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