IOC President Confers with World Leaders at U.N.

(ATR) IOC President Thomas Bach will hear the latest on a possible plan to bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics from North and South Korea when he meets today at the U.N. with South Korea President Jae In Moon.

Moon and Bach are among the world leaders at the U.N. this week for the annual opening of the General Assembly.

As has become customary for the IOC president, Bach spends several days in New York during U.N. week. No speeches are on the schedule, only meetings with heads of state.

On Sunday he met with Colombia’s Ivan Duque.

Monday he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry says the meeting with Abe covered topics related to the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo. The ministry statement says Bach pledged to deliver assurances to Olympic visitors that Japanese food products are safe. A joint team of the International AtomicEnergy Association and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reported in June that Japanese food products are safe in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear plant demise in 2011.

The ministry says Bach and Abe agreed to enlist as many signatories as possible for the Olympic Truce resolution that will be presented later this year to the General Assembly.

"Good meeting with Japan PM, but also many others," says an IOC official.

"Our position of not politicizing the Games and respect for their neutrality is well understood," ATR is told.

Moon and Bach will talk about a possible joint Korean Olympic bid for 2032, according to Korean media. The two leaders are also expected to cover the prospect of the two Koreas forming a unified team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Bach leaves Wednesday for Qatar where he will attend the opening of the IAAF Athletics World Championships. On Friday Bach and members of the IOC Executive Board will meet with the IAAF Council in Doha.

Reported by Ed Hula.