Annan travels to Paris for meetings political and business leaders

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is headed to Paris where he will meet early next week with senior French officials and then address some 200 business leaders on their contribution to meeting global socio-economic development targets.

The Secretary-General will begin his two-day trip Monday with official meetings with President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. He will have a working lunch with the French President and British Prime Minister Tony Blair as well.

The business leaders' conference, "The Business Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals," will be hosted by President Chirac, with the support of the Global Compact, a UN inter-agency initiative championed by Mr. Annan which seeks to advance good corporate citizenship and responsible globalization.

Mr. Annan is expected to return on Thursday to UN Headquarters in New York.