Secretary-General begins official visit to Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has arrived in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, at the start of a two-day official visit that will also take in the Dominican Republic, a United Nations spokesman announced today.

Mr. Annan is scheduled to meet Haiti’s President Rene Préval and other senior Government officials later today, as well as staff from the United Nations Stabilization Mission to the country, known by its acronym MINUSTAH.

Tomorrow the Secretary-General heads to neighbouring Dominican Republic, where he will hold talks with that country’s President Leonel Fernandez.

Mr. Annan’s departure from New York was delayed by a day and his programme during the trip shortened because of technical problems with his aircraft.