ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., 1-2 FEBRUARY

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew from the Netherlands to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, 1 February.

On Friday morning, he participated in a meeting with the other principal members of the Quartet dealing with the Middle East -- United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana; European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner; and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, representing the Presidency of the European Union.

At a joint press encounter at the end of the meeting, a communiqué was issued by the Quartet.  (See Press Release SG/2122.)

Earlier on Friday morning, the Secretary-General had met separately with Foreign Ministers Lavrov and Steinmeier.  He later attended a working luncheon with Secretary Rice and the other Quartet principals, before returning to New York.