Ban Ki-moon's visit cancelled by North Korean authorities

Baku. 20 May. REPORT.AZ/ U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, his planned visit on Wednesday to a joint industrial complex has been cancelled by North Korean authorities.

In a speech in Seoul, the Secretary-General said there was no explanation given by the North Koreans for the last-minute change.

"This decision by Pyongyang is deeply regrettable. However, me, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, will not spare any efforts to encourage the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea) to work with the international community for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and beyond," Ban Ki-moon said, according to a U.N. statement.

A trip to Kaesong was scheduled for May 21 and initially approved by official Seoul and Pyongyang.

UN Secretary-Generals did not visit North Korea for more than 20 years, since the DPRK in 1993 visited by Boutros Boutros-Ghali.