Ban Ki-moon announces official visit to India

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has announced an official visit to India. He will depart from New York on 25 April.
 
His first stop will be New Delhi, where he will have meetings with the senior political leadership to discuss current regional and international issues and matters of global concern.
 
The Secretary-General will also receive an honorary doctorate degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University.
 
He will then visit Mumbai, where he will meet with Prithviraj Chavan, Chief  Minister of Maharashtra, and meet with key business leaders committed to utilizing their expertise to promote the health of women and children.
 
The Secretary-General will also visit health facilities where he will have the opportunity to witness first-hand progress being made in communities through his discussions with women, children and health workers.

The visit would conclude with an event hosted by Millennium Development Goal Advocates Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Ray Chambers, who is the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria.

The event would also include participation of representatives from government, the private sector, civil society, the creative community and the United Nations.

Ban had established the MDG Advocacy Group, which comprises eminent personalities from across the world who have shown leadership in promoting the implementation of the Millennium Development Goal.

The Secretary-General will then head to Myanmar, which he said is at a “critical” moment in its transition.

“Myanmar is only at the beginning of its transition. Many challenges lie ahead. Many concerns have yet to be addressed. Yet I am convinced that we have an unprecedented opportunity to help the country advance toward a better future,” Ban had said.

The visit to Myanmar, at the invitation of President Thein Sein and the third for Ban since he became UN Secretary-General in 1997.