His visit coincides with the announcement by Abdullah Abdullah, President Hamid Karzai's challenger in the August elections, that he was formally withdrawing from Saturday's run-off elections:
"I was already on my way when I heard the news that Dr. Abdullah Abdullah had opted to discontinue his participation in the second round. I am sure that due process and observance of the rules will prevail and the Afghan Independent Election Commission will apply constitutionally correct procedures."
The Secretary-General told reporters that he had come to Kabul to express his solidarity with UN staff and the Afghan people, and to see the security situation first hand.
In light of last week's attack on a guest house in Kabul in which five UN staff members were killed and nine injured, the UN is urgently reviewing the security environment throughout Afghanistan, including exploring the feasibility of bringing in additional security units to guard UN facilities and guest houses.
Diane Bailey, United Nations
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