UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will leave later this week for Egypt, the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, Jordan and elsewhere in the Middle East, his spokesperson Michele Montas said Monday.

    During the visit, the secretary-general will attend the Arab Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 28, before departing for Beirut, Lebanon, Montas said.

    The secretary-general's main priorities for the trip will be the Middle East peace process, stability in Lebanon, Darfur and the UN role within the International Compact with Iraq, an initiative launched by the UN and the Iraqi government to garner international support for the country's political, economic and social development over the next five years, she added.

    "The secretary-general wants to see firsthand the UN peace operations and presences in the region. He also wants to hear firsthand from the people in the region about the problems and challenges they face," Montas said.

    "The secretary-general believes that we are seeing a renewed dynamism in diplomacy in the Arab world. During his visit to the Arab League summit, he wants to express his support to ongoing efforts to re-energize the Middle East peace process and bring about peace and stability in Lebanon, Iraq, and in the broader Middle East context," she said.

    The secretary-general will be back at the UN headquarters on April 2. ¡¡