UN secretary-general is set to arrive this week for Mideast tour of Israel, Palestinian territories and Jordan in peace push.
By JPOST.COM STAFF
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to arrive in Israel this week, will address the 12th annual Herzliya Conference on Thursday, the IDC Herzliya announced Sunday.The announcement said Ban was scheduled to deliver the conference's keynote address Thursday evening.Last week, the secretary-general announced he would be arriving in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan in a Middle East tour supporting the peace process."My visit comes at an important moment," the UN chief said at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday.Following the low-level talks that took place in Amman over the past few weeks, Ban said "I will be there to encourage both sides to re-engage in earnest and create a positive atmosphere for moving forward."Ban's visit comes after the Quartet of Middle East mediators' deadline for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to present proposals regarding a borders and security expired. The Palestinian Authority has indicated it will not continue contacts with Israel following the January 26 deadline.