H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, together with his spouse -- Mrs. Ban Soon-taek -- and other members of the delegation will pay a working visit to Thailand on 16-17 November 2011, as guests of the Royal Thai Government. The upcoming visit of the Secretary General at the invitation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra follows from the bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and the Secretary General in September this year during the 66th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
The Secretary General’s visit to Thailand is aimed at enhancing the close cooperation between Thailand and the United Nations. At the same time, it will provide an opportunity for the Secretary General to learn first-hand how the flood crisis in Thailand is extensively affecting the lives and properties of the Thai people. Among the issues to be discussed are the cooperation between the United Nations agencies and Thai authorities in assisting flood-affected areas, as well as other matters pertaining to the strengthening of Bangkok as a regional hub of the United Nations and other international organizations, the constructive role of Thailand in the region, and other issues of mutual interests.
Following his arrival in Bangkok on 16 November 2011, the Secretary General is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister at the Government House in the early afternoon. After the meeting, there will be a joint press conference by the Secretary General and the Prime Minister.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary General is scheduled to attend a Roundtable on Universal Health Coverage at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Thereafter, the Secretary General has expressed an interest in visiting some flood-affected areas before leaving Thailand on 17 November 2011 to attend the 4th ASEAN-UN Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th