Secretary-General to attend G8 summit as part of upcoming East Asian trip

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will embark later this month on a three-nation East Asian trip that will take him to Japan, China and the Republic of Korea, and then back to Japan for the Group of Eight (G8) Hokkaido Toyako summit.

Mr. Ban’s first stop will be Japan, where he will deliver a lecture on climate change at Kyoto University, his spokesperson, Marie Okabe, said today. He will proceed to Tokyo for a visit that will include an audience with the Emperor and Empress of Japan and meetings with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura.

The Secretary-General then heads to Beijing for a series of meetings, including with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and the UN country team.

Following that, he will travel to Seoul, where he will receive an honorary degree at Seoul National University and lead a seminar on climate change at the National Assembly.

While in the South Korean capital, Mr. Ban plans to meet with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and President Lee Myung-bak.

The Secretary-General will conclude his trip back in Japan, where he will attend the G8 summit, which is set to begin on 7 July.