A top United Nations political official will travel next week to Kyrgyzstan to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe will arrive in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on 16 August.

He will deliver a message, on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to a summit of the leaders of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It is a regional body composed of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

While in Kyrgyzstan, he will also meet with a number of visiting leaders to discuss the situation in Central Asia and the broader region.