Ban Ki-Moon
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a visit to an elementary school at Liqisa district, East Timor. Ban will be in Iran at the end of August for the Non-Aligned Movement summit. Reuters

The UN released a statement today saying the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will be attending the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran from August 26 to 31.

"The Secretary-General looks forward to the summit as an opportunity to work with the participating Heads of State and governments, including the host country, towards solutions on issues that are central to the global agenda including, follow-up to the Rio+20 Conference on sustainable development, disarmament, conflict prevention, and support for countries in transition," his spokesperson told reporters today at UN Headquarters in New York.

"With respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Secretary-General will use the opportunity to convey the clear concerns and expectations of the international community on the issues for which cooperation and progress are urgent for both regional stability and the welfare of the Iranian people," the spokesperson said.

"These include Iran's nuclear program, terrorism, human rights and the crisis in Syria."

Earlier today reports from South Korean media confirmed that North Korean leader will also attend the summit, marking his first official state visit since he assumed power in December 2011.

Mohamed Morsi, the new Egyptian president and current Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement, is also expected to attend the summit, making it the first time since the Iranian Revolution that an Egyptian head of state will visit Iran.

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