United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is due to arrive in Yangon later on Friday to start his two-day official visit to Myanmar.

During his visit, Ban will meet Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior-General Than Shwe and leaders of 10 legal political parties as well as inspecting the reconstruction in cyclone-hit areas.

Ban's visit comes a week after his special envoy Ibrahim Gambari briefly visited Nay Pyi Taw on June 26-27 and had discussions with Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win over the preparatory trip of Ban to the country.

Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas said before his departure that Ban's agenda includes a broad range of issues including long standing concerns to the United Nations and the international community.

Aung San Suu Kyi's issue will be among those to be touched upon during Ban's visit, Montas said.

Ban's trip came amid a trial against Aung San Suu Kyi, her two maids -- Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma, and U.S. citizen John William Yettaw in connection with Yettaw's secret intrusion into Aung San Suu Kyi's then restricted lakeside residence on May 3 night by swimming through the Inya Lake but was arrested at dawn on May 6 when he swam back after spending two days there.

Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD), is charged with violating her terms of house arrest by accommodating Yettaw.

Ban last visited Myanmar in late May 2008 after it was struck by cyclone Nargis early in the month which inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructure damage in a century mainly to Ayeyawaddy and Yangon divisions, claiming lives of 84,537 people and leaving 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured as reported officially.

Source: Xinhua