Friday, 22 August 2008

Globe Trotters.

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Ibrahim Gambari

UN visit

Senior UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari visits burma to promote national reconciliation and democratic reform. He is expected to be allowed to meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (Japanese news agency Kyodo).

Hu Jintao

South Korea visit

Chinese President Hu Jintao visits South Korea, meeting with counterpart Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Han Seung-soo (South Korean news agency Yonhap).

US Marines

Military exercises

South Korea hosts the "Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2008" joint military exercises with United States. The exercises are designed to test combat readiness should major conflict arise with North Korea or any other neighbouring country (South Korean news agency Yonhap).

Gold medallists

Hong Kong tour

Chinese Olympic gold medallists pay a three day visit to Hong Kong. The government has denied that the trip has any connection to the upcoming Legislative Council election (Radio TV Hong Kong Radio 3).

King Abdallah

Russia visit

King Abdallah of Jordan visits Russia to hold talks with President Dmitriy Medvedev (Russian news agency Interfax).

Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) summit takes place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad is also expected to attend (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, Iranian news agency Fars).

Angela Merkel

Baltit trip

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tours Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania (German news agency ddp).

Bernard Kouchner

Mid East tour

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner tours the Middle East visiting Lebanon, Syria, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Egypt. In Syria he meets President Bashar al-Asad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Mu'allim in preparation for President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Syria next month (French news agency AFP).

Palestinians

Prisoner release

Israel is due to release around 200 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (Regional sources).

Ehud Baraq

Mubarak meeting

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Baraq visits Egypt, meeting with President Hosni Mubarak (Egyptian state-run news agency MENA).