40 heads of state to attend December climate summit: U.N.

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Some 40 heads of state plan to attend a U.N. meeting in December in Copenhagen meant to agree a global warming deal, the U.N. climate chief said on Friday.

"My understanding is that 40 heads of state have indicated their intention to be present at the end of Copenhagen to celebrate success," Yvo de Boer told reporters on the sidelines of November 2-6 climate talks in Barcelona.

"It really is a good spread of countries North and South," he added, referring to African leaders and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He had obtained that number from the Danish hosts of the December meeting, he added.

(Reporting by Alister Doyle and Gerard Wynn; Editing by Charles Dick)