Bangkok--23 May--UNISBKK Soon after arriving in the capital of Myanmar, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was driven for 30 minutes from the airport to meet Myanmar’s Senior General Than Shwe, at a modern complex set in the foothills of the Shan hills. The new capital is very spread out, with a scattering of modern buildings and ministries connected by huge highways that carry virtually no cars. The occasional peasant can be seen working in fields beside the roads. The meeting between Senior General Than Shwe and the Secretary-General started at 10:30 a.m. (0400 GMT), as scheduled. The pair shook hands in the presence of reporters at the start of the meeting. The Senior General remained impassive throughout. Senior General Than Shwe, short and stockily-built, was dressed in dark-green trousers and a dark-green shirt open at the neck. The shirt was covered in medals and military decorations. He also wore gilt-rim spectacles. He and Mr. Ban sat at an oval table on the middle of which was a huge spray of flowers and utensils for tea service. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the large meeting room, whose decorative style can only be described as"kitsch." Various military aides hung around at the start of the meeting and an interpreter sat between the pair. Microphones were set up on the table. For more information, please contact: UN Information Services Tel.: +66-2-288-1861-9; Fax: +66-2-288-1052 Email: [email protected]