UNITED NATIONS, (APP): Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in New York on Friday evening to lead Pakistan’s delegation to the 65th session U.N. General Assembly. The foreign minister will go through a hectic schedule of summit-level and high-level meetings at UN Headquarters in New York where delegates from around the world have started gathering.Apart from participating in UN meetings, the foreign minister will meet a number of his counterparts and other delegates for bilateral talks at which he will focus on the situation arising from the devastating floods in the country.
A number of media interviews have also been lined up for him. On Sunday, Qureshi will co-chair with UN Secretary-Secretary Ban Ki-moon a high-level meeting of Friends of Democratic Pakistan.
Although it is not a donor meeting, UN officials said some countries were likely to announce their contributions for the relief of millions of flood victims in Pakistan.
Among those attending will be US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Saudi Foreign Minisdter Prince Saud al-Faisal. On Monday, Qureshi will attend the summit meeting which will review the progress on the anti-poverty millennium Development Goals (MGDs) agreed by world leaders in 2000. More than 140 heads of state/government are attending the three-day event.
Qureshi will also address the summit. The general debate in the 192-member assembly opens on September 23 in which a large number world leaders will outline their views on issues affecting peace and security.
The foreign minister will address the General Assembly on September 28.
He is also scheduled to address US think-tanks like the Council on Foreign Relations and Asia Society in New York. – App
