Thursday, April 21 2005 09:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will arrive in New Delhi on April 25 a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders.

Annan will reach New Delhi after attending the Asian-African Summit in Jakarta, which concludes on April 24, External Affairs Ministry sources, said in New Delhi yesterday (Apr 20, 2005).

The issue of UN reforms, situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and other regional and international issues are likely to figure in talks that Annan will hold with Indian leaders, they said.

The UN Chief had earlier planned to visit India in January soon after tsunami struck this region. He intended to visit the disaster-hit areas but was told by the Government to postpone the trip as it was focussed on relief and rescue operations.

Annan, who will undertake his third visit to New Delhi as UN Secretary General, will also meet External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and leader of Opposition L K Advani.

He will also pay homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at his samadhi at Rajghat.

The Secretary General will deliver a lecture on the changing role of the UN and meet NGOs working on HIV/AIDS issues in India during the trip.

He will return to New York on April 28.