Annan discusses poverty and regional issues with Chilean President

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan discussed poverty, social policies and regional developments during talks today with Chile's President Ricardo Lagos on the first leg of his South American tour.

Mr. Annan and Mr. Lagos also conferred over the recent trade talks in Cancún, Mexico, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok, Thailand, according to a UN spokesman in New York.

The Secretary-General also spoke today with Chile's acting Defence Minister, eight former Chilean UN peacekeepers - who served in missions from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Timor-Leste to Kosovo and the Pakistan-India border - and two key parliamentarians, the President of the Chilean Senate and the President of the Chamber of Deputies.

Mr. Annan gave a speech at the Chamber of Deputies, praising Chile's contributions to the UN and what he called its active support of multilateralism.

In a separate programme, Mr. Annan's wife, Nane, visited a support centre for victims of domestic violence in the coastal city of Valparaiso.

Mr. and Mrs. Annan are scheduled to leave Chile tomorrow afternoon to begin the next leg of their South American tour, which takes in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.