UN chief to attend Nuclear Security Summit in Washington

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., later Thursday to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, during which he is expected to shed light on the world body's role in helping strengthen nuclear security in the world at large, a UN spokesman told reporters here.

The secretary-general will attend a working dinner at the White House hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"The secretary-general is expected to highlight issues concerning the Nuclear Security Agenda, ahead of the High-Level Nuclear Security Summit to take place the following day," said Dujarric.

The Fourth Nuclear Security Summit will be held from March 31 to April 1 in the U.S. capital.

"Issues will include the necessity to sustain high-level political momentum, the nexus between nuclear terrorism and cyber security, and the urgent need to bridge the gap on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation," he said. "At the High-Level Nuclear Security Summit on 1 April, the secretary-general will bring attention to the vital role the United Nations can play in thwarting the threats posed by the growing ability of terrorist networks to acquire weapons of mass destruction, as well to the ability of the organization to promptly respond to any serious emergency involving the use of weapons of mass destruction."

On the side-lines of the summit, the secretary-general is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Endit