UNMIK/PR/65

Press Release

11 October 1999

United Nations Secretary-General Visits Kosovo

PRISTINA-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrives here on 13 October for his first visit to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

Secretary-General Annan will meet with Kosovo political parties, the heads of UNMIK and its four "pillars," KFOR commanders, United Nations staff and local Kosovars in various field trips during the two-day visit.

Several opportunities for the media have been planned. Pool arrangements will be on helicopter trips to venues in the field. Photo opportunities for some of the closed meetings in Pristina will also be pooled.
There will also be a press briefing.

Media interested in joining any of these pools, please contact Ms. Angela Walker as soon as possible, at 063 446 264 or 038 500 223 ext. 4346.

The Secretary-General will fly from Sarajevo on 13 October, arriving  at Pristina’s Slatina Airport Wednesday morning, where he will be met by his Special Representative in Kosovo, Dr. Bernard Kouchner and other UN officials.

He will then address Kosovo political representatives at the UNMIK headquarters. A photo opportunity for a media pool will be available at the start of the meeting.

The Secretary-General will meet KFOR Commander General Klaus Reinhardt in the same building later that morning, when another photo opportunity is planned, again at the start of the meeting.

The Secretary-General will fly by helicopter to Vuciturn in the afternoon to address cadets at the Kosovo Police School. A media pool will be arranged for the helicopter.

He returns to Pristina to attend a civil society event later that afternoon, the venue of which will be announced shortly.

Thursday morning, the Secretary-General meets with leaders of Kosovo’s three major political parties in UNMIK headquarters. Again there will be a pool photo opportunity as the meeting commences.

Following that meeting, he leaves Pristina for a field visit to Peja/Pec to attend the opening of schools for 5000 students the rehabilitation of which has been financed by ECHO --The European Community Humanitarian Office, with the Irish NGO GOAL as its implementing partner.

At 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Secretary-General Annan will give a press briefing at the KFOR Press Center. All media are invited to attend.

Media are asked to refrain from asking questions of the Secretary-General at venues other than the press briefing.

He will depart from Slatina Airport Thursday afternoon, 14 October.