Van der Bellen cancels trip to UN General Assembly

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has canceled his trip to the UN General Assembly in New York due to health reasons.

Van der Bellen, 78, was scheduled to address the assembly on September 20. He was also due to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other world leaders.

The president's office said in a statement that Van der Bellen had been advised by his doctors to rest after he experienced "circulatory problems" last week.

Van der Bellen is expected to make a full recovery and will resume his duties as soon as possible.

The president's cancellation comes as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly. The assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. It is composed of all 193 UN member states and meets annually in September.

This year's assembly is taking place under the theme of "A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges." World leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.