Jonathan Leaves For UN Meeting, Today

President Goodluck Jonathan will leave Abuja for New York today to participate in the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly.

A statement by Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said Jonathan would be accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Environment, Health, Justice, Petroleum and Power.

According to the statement, the President will participate in a high-level meeting on desertification, land degradation and drought to be hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday.

It said the President would deliver his statement to the General Assembly on Wednesday and confer with several world leaders on strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and their countries.

He will also attend a reception to be hosted by President Barack Obama in New York.

According to the statement, Jonathan is scheduled to meet with Presidents Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Sebastian Pinera of Chile, Mahinda Rajapaska of Sri Lanka and Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with Presidents Pal Schmitt of Hungary, Mikhail Shaskashvili of Georgia, Jacob Zuma of South Africa as well as Prime Ministers Pedro Coelho of Portugal and Yoshihiko Noda of Japan.

The statement said Jonathan would participate in a high-level round-table on the Nigerian Economy, organised by the African Business Round-Table and Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

The President is also expected to confer with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exxon Mobil Worldwide, Mr Rex Tillerson and Mr Klaus Schwab, the founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, among other leaders.

He is billed to return to Abuja on Friday.