Kofi Annan, the new secretary general of the United Nations, may visit Tokyo and Beijing in May, his first trip to the two capitals since taking office Jan. 1, Japanese diplomatic sources said Mar. 13.
The U.N. secretariat is now making scheduling adjustments with Japan and China to make the May trip by Annan, a career U.N. diplomat from Ghana who succeeded Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the sources said. "Annan wants to visit both Tokyo and Beijing on his first Asian tour," one of the sources said. "It is still possible that Annan's trip to Japan and China will be delayed to a later date if the U.N., Japan and China fail to find dates in May for the trip that will be convenient for all three sides."
Annan visited Tokyo last fall to attend an international seminar on ways to prevent regional conflicts in Africa. He was then a U.N. undersecretary general for peacekeeping operations.