UN chief Guterres to visit Golden Temple on Oct 3

UNITED NATIONS: UN chief Antonio Guterres will travel to India early next month, his first trip to the country as head of the world body that coincides with the commencement of events marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The secretary-general will arrive in New Delhi on October 1 and will visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar on October 3 afternoon. He will return to New York on October 4, said deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general Farhan Haq told reporters here on Friday. Replying to a question on Guterres’ trip to the Golden Temple, Haq said the visit is essentially a personal one as the UN chief wanted to see the holy Sikh pilgrimage site. When asked if Guterres will be asked questions about the 1984 Sikh riots, Haq said it was a bit “premature” to mention the topics he will bring up.

The secretary-general’s visit coincides with the beginning of events to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2 next year.

On October 1, Guterres will formally open the new UN House in New Delhi and on October 2, the secretary-general will participate in the closing session of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention.

During the visit, he will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on October 3.

He will also meet with Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan before giving a lecture at the India Habitat Centre on Global Affairs.