Annan to spend rest of month in Europe on official visits, attending conferences

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will pay an official visit to Vienna next week at the invitation of the Austrian Government, before attending meetings in Switzerland and France that will keep him away from UN Headquarters in New York through the end of the month.

Mr. Annan, presently in Athens to attend the European Conference and discuss the UN's role in post-conflict Iraq with continental leaders, is scheduled to leave Greece on Monday for Vienna, where he will meet with Austrian President Thomas Klestil on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he will meet with Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, and also will visit the Austrian Parliament.

On Thursday, he will address the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva and on Friday and Saturday he will attend the spring session in Paris of the Chief Executives Board, which brings together the heads of all UN departments, agencies and programmes. The session will focus on follow-up to the Millennium Summit, and the challenge of sustainable development.

On 27 April, he will return to Switzerland for an official visit, including meetings in Bern on 29 April with President Pascal Couchepin and other senior officials. He is scheduled to return to New York the following day.