UN chief to carry Olympic torch

 UNITED NATIONS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit London from July 26-28, during which he will carry the Olympic torch during the final leg of its relay, a UN spokesman told reporters here on Tuesday.

"On Thursday, at the invitation of the London Olympic Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he will carry the Olympic Torch on the final leg of its journey in the United Kingdom in the presence of the President of the IOC," said Eduardo del Buey, the deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing.

"It was an honor for the secretary-general, who is a firm believer in sports for development and for peace," he said.

According to him, after taking part in events related to the opening of the London 2012 Olympics, Ban will attend the Opening Ceremony on Friday.

During his visit in London, the UN chief will also hold bilateral¹ meetings with British leaders, including the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and the Foreign Secretary William Hague, said del Buey.

He added that the secretary-general will be discussing the concept of the Olympic Truce² and meeting with other leaders who will be in London for the opening of the Games.

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, also known as London 2012, are scheduled to take place in London from July 27 to August 12, 2012.

In 1992, the IOC renewed the ancient Greek tradition of the ekecheiria, or "Olympic Truce," by calling on all nations to observe it. The UN General Assembly has urged members to observe the Olympic Truce from the seventh day before the opening to the seventh day after the closing of each Olympic Games.

1 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。