Dermot Ahern in whistle-stop UN mission
Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern is to visit five European capitals in 48 hours as part of a whirlwind United Nations mission, it emerged today.
Mr Ahern will touch down in Denmark, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia and Austria in his capacity as Special Envoy of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Mr Ahern was due to meet his Danish counterpart in Copenhagen and Dutch government ministers in the Hague today before travelling on to the Serbian capital Belgrade and Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia tomorrow.
The minister is scheduled to conclude his UN tour with a visit to the Austrian capital Vienna on Friday.
“As one of five Special Envoys, we have a relatively short period of time to take soundings on the views and concerns of UN States in relation to the Secretary General’s reform programme,” Mr Ahern said before his departure.
“The far-reaching reforms package will be debated at the UN September Summit in New York.
“My task is to brief foreign ministers and leaders throughout Europe and beyond on the agenda for action to move the world decidedly towards important goals:
:: Promoting UN reform
:: Halving poverty in the next 10 years
:: Reducing the threat of war, terrorism and deadly weapons
:: Advancing human dignity.”
Mr Ahern is due to report back to the UN Secretary General on his meetings in New York next week.
He has already visited Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino and held talks with ministers from other EU member states as part of his UN mission.
