UN chief begins Irish visit
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits Ireland today for the first time since taking office.
The top diplomat will meet President Mary McAleese as well as Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin and Defence Minister Willie O’Dea during the two-day official trip.
Mr Cowen will host a working lunch with the Secretary-General in Government Buildings this afternoon, while Mr Martin will hold dinner and talks this evening.
The Secretary-General has also been invited by the Institute for International and European Affairs to give an address on United Nations peacekeeping in Dublin Castle.
He will also speak at the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee where he will be quizzed on a range of topics including the Lisbon Treaty, the situation in Sudan, Ireland’s role in UN peacekeeping, UN reform, the Middle East, climate change and women’s rights.
The diplomat visited Ireland before when serving as Foreign Minister for the Republic of Korea, but never as UN Secretary-General.
His predecessor Kofi Annan visited in October 2004.
