UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to embark on a three-nation tour next week that will take him to France, Britain and Saudi Arabia, his press office said Friday.

    The UN chief is scheduled to participate in the International Conference on Afghanistan taking place in Paris next Thursday, where he will also meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    On the following day, the secretary-general will be in London to meet with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior British officials.

    He will then travel over the weekend to Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of the Saudi King, where he will hold talks with the King and Saudi government officials.

    On June 16, the secretary-general will participate in the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the London-based International Maritime Organization, before returning early in the week to New York.