António Guterres
Photo: EPA
UN chief heading to Israel for first official visit
Secretary-General António Guterres prepares for three-day trip to Israel at the end of August, during which he will meet with PM and other Israeli leaders, visit Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and travel to the Gaza Strip.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will be embarking on his first visit to Israel since being appointed to head the world body in December 2016.
The visit is expected to last for three days, beginning on August 28, during which Guterres is expected to hold meetings with state leaders such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. He will also travel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Antonio Guterres (Photo: Reuters)
Moreover, the ninth UN chief is also said to be planning to visit the Gaza Strip, into which the UN is pumping huge sums of money for the enclave’s residents.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said that the trip would enable Guterres “to build a relationship” with Netanyahu.
Danny Danon (Photo: AP)
“We are extremely happy about this visit. It is a wonderful opportunity for the secretary-general to experience Israel, to meet with the leaders of Israel and to understand the challenges that Israel is facing day and night,” Danon continued.
He also went on to emphasize the experience held by Guterres, the former prime minister of Portugal.
Riyad Mansour (Photo: EPA)
“He has been in Israel in the past. He recognizes the complexity of the matter, he isn't someone who is coming to our area without a clue about what is happening,” he said before adding that the government would be holding discussion on strengthening United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the UN body charged with preserving peace in southern Lebanon.
The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, described the visit as one of “extreme importance,” saying that he supports interest shown by the UN in increasing its preoccupation with the “plight of the Palestinians.”
