UNITED NATIONS, Jan 7 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will now visit six countries in the Middle East region before arriving in Kuwait to attend the first Arab Economic Summit, scheduled for January 19, diplomatic sources told KUNA late Tuesday.
Ban will now visit Egypt, Israel, Ramallah, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Kuwait just before flying back directly to Washington D.C. to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20.
Ban was originally scheduled to visit Lebanon, Syria and Kuwait only.
The sources said Ban's decision was prompted by the grave situation in Gaza and he will do it "independently from whether the Security Counci acts or not" by adopting a ceasefire resolution.
Ban was scheduled to leave New York on January 15. Now he will have to leave earlier, probably on the 13th.
Diplomats fear the economic summit in Kuwait will turn into a political summit given the urgency of the situation in the area.
One factor contributing to the failure to find a solution to the current crisis, diplomats explained, is that while the Arabs look at the crisis as a matter related to occupation, Israel and the US look at it as a matter related to the fight against terrorism. (end) sj.ema KUNA 070901 Jan 09NNNN