Washington - As US President George W Bush's eight years in office near the end, he plans to lunch with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday at the White House.

At the top of the agenda will be the future of the United Nations and remaining challenges such as UN reform, the Middle East, Burma, Somalia, and peacekeeping in Darfur, said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe in a statement.

First Lady Laura Bush will also join the affair.

"This meeting will be an opportunity for the President to thank Secretary-General Ban for his leadership of the United Nations and his cooperation on key issues over the past two years," Johndroe said. (dpa)