UN SECGEN LAUDS LEADERSHIP, CONGRATULATES PGMA ON ASEAN SUMMIT SUCCESS;
 ROMULO, BAN KI MOON PLEDGE TO CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER 

19 January 2007 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon today congratulated President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the significant results and successful hosting of the ASEAN and East Asian Summits in Cebu last 10-15 January. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon expressed his congratulations during his meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo on 17 January 2007 at the United Nations, New York.   

“We had a very good meeting,” Secretary Romulo said. “Our meeting started off with the Secretary-General conveying his congratulations for the ‘profound and meaningful success’ of the Cebu Summit meetings and his saying that success and meaningful outcome of the meetings were a direct result of the strong direction and leadership of President Arroyo,” he added. 

“As the current chair of ASEAN, I briefed the Secretary-General on the results of the ASEAN and East Asian Summit meetings in Cebu, particularly on the issues that are of great interest to the United Nations,” he added.   

The Secretary said that their discussions “focused on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, ASEAN’s continued push for democracy in Myanmar, President Arroyo’s initiatives on inter-faith dialogue, debt-for-equity, disaster mitigation, energy and counter-terrorism.” 

According to Secretary Romulo, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon also expressed his deep appreciation to President Arroyo for taking the lead on key issues that promote the progress and stability of East Asia.  “He was also particularly grateful for the leadership of the Philippines on issues that are of great importance to the United Nations,” Secretary Romulo said. 

“I thanked the Secretary-General for his kind words on the leadership of the President and we both agreed that the Philippines and the United Nations should continue to work closely together,” the Secretary said.   

“It was in this particular context that I informed the Secretary-General of the decision of the President to appoint former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. as Permanent Representative to the United Nations and that he had taken his oath before the President last 14 January in Cebu,” Secretary Romulo said.   

The two officials also discussed Philippine support for the UN Agenda of Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who assumed office on 1 January 2007.  “I gave him the assurance of full Philippine support, as a member of the United Nations and as the current Chair of ASEAN, for the Secretary-General’s agenda for the United Nations, particularly in terms of initiatives he intends to take to make the organization more effective and responsive to current challenges,” Secretary Romulo said. END

/jay

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