On margin of G20 Summit, UN chief meets with world leaders to discuss pressing issues

According to his spokesperson,  Ban held meetings with  Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council and  Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.

They exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine as well as the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease, the Secretary-Generals Spokesperson Stphane Dujarric said in statement.

The Secretary-General stressed the need for a political rather than military solution for the on-going situation in Ukraine and emphasized that the crisis has an impact far beyond the region.

Ban also thanked the European Union (EU) for its help in containing the spread of the Ebola virus and its support for the most affected countries. He specifically expressed his gratitude for the European Unions backing of medical evacuation of first responders.

During the meeting, they also discussed climate change and the EU recent and welcome decision to further limit greenhouse emissions. The Secretary-General underscored the leadership of the EU on this issue and encouraged the EU to generously support the Green Climate Fund.

Also on Sunday, the Secretary-General met on Sunday with  Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu, Prime Minister of Turkey, to discuss the priorities for Turkeys upcoming chairmanship of the G20.

The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister exchanged views on the situation in Syria, including international efforts to combat the threat posed by ISIL and Turkeys humanitarian assistance to the refugees in the region.

They also discussed the ongoing diplomatic efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria,  Staffan de Mistura, to create momentum for a local freeze in Aleppo.

Additionally, the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister also discussed the status of the negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, as well as Turkeys role in supporting the process.