29 January 2001

The President spoke at the opening of the Preparatory Committee for the General Assembly Special Session on Children, to be held 19-21 September. In his remarks he said that this General Assembly session is one of the tools for the implementation of the Millennium Declaration and that its successful outcome would be a step towards meeting our Millennium commitments. He noted that the Millennium Summit follow-up is an over-arching theme, which links different conferences and special sessions together in a meaningful and holistic way. The full text of his remarks is available on the "Statements and Messages" page.

After the opening, the President hosted a luncheon in connection with the Special Session on Children PrepCom.

The President met with H.E. Mr. Skender Gjinushi, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament. They discussed the current situation in the Southeast Asian region.

During his meeting with the President, Mr. Ram Manikkalingam of the Rockefeller Foundation brought up issues related to Northern Ireland. The President, who has participated in the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, shared his experiences on reaching agreement in such complex negotiations.

Later in the day the President attended a reception to say goodbye to Ambassador and Mrs. Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia.