UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke of security and terrorism as part of his agenda during his first visit overseas since assuming the position of Secretary-General on January 1. "I am very much assured and encouraged by what NATO has been contributing to peace and prosperity and security around the world in Afghanistan, in Kosovo, in Africa, in close coordination and under the mandate of the United Nations," said Ban in a press encounter after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer in Brussels on Wednesday. Ban told reporters he spoke to Scheffer on how to increase overall cooperation between both entities at an organizational level. At his press encounter after meeting European Union (EU) High Representative Javier Solana, Ban told reporters that he respected the way the EU has dealt with fighting against international terrorism. Before attending the Lebanon development conference in Paris tomorrow, Ban also met with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
