UN envoy holds talks on Myanmar with senior officials in Washington

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Myanmar is in Washington, D.C., today for talks with senior United States officials, including the country’s First Lady Laura Bush, on United Nations efforts to promote democratic change in the South-East Asian nation.

Ibrahim Gambari met this morning with Mrs. Bush and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley to discuss the world body’s efforts in the context of the Secretary-General’s good offices mandate for Myanmar, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters.

Mr. Gambari, who has visited Myanmar twice since the Government began its crackdown against peaceful protesters a few months ago, is also scheduled to meet with the US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns.

In addition, he is scheduled to meet with Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt in connection with the International Compact for Iraq – the five-year peace and development plan launched in May to help rebuild the strife-torn nation.

Mr. Gambari will be at UN Headquarters in New York tomorrow, when he is scheduled to provide an informal briefing to the General Assembly on his efforts.