PRESS RELEASE
President of the UN General Assembly to visit Belgium and Italy
UNITED NATIONS, New York, 2 May 2017–The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, will visit Belgium and Italy this week.
On Wednesday, 3 May, President Thomson will address the opening session of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Council of Ministers meeting to be held in Brussels. The President will also meet with H.E. Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs and with Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Additionally, President Thomson will attend a meeting with COREPER.
On Thursday, 4 May, President Thomson will address the European Parliament Commission on Environmental Issues, followed by a meeting with Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development and other high-level representatives of the European Union. The President will also meet with the heads of UN agencies in Brussels.
On Friday, 5 May, in support of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the President will be in Rome to attend the presentation of “Right Now” projects to be held at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Vatican.
The President will meet with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and also with Jose Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO.
Before departing for Europe, President Thomson said, “I look forward to meeting officials and participating in High-level meetings in Brussels to discuss the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular those related to environmental issues as we approach the Ocean Conference. In Rome, I look forward to supporting sustainable development initiatives that are being undertaken through the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.”
The President will be accompanied by the Office of the President of the General Assembly’s Chef de Cabinet Ambassador Tomas Anker Christensen, Special Advisor Ambassador Ioannis Vrailas; Senior Advisers Elina Lemetty and Alejandro Sousa; and Special Assistant Signe Schelde Poulsen. Travel and accommodation expenses for the President and accompanying officers are being covered by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly.
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FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:
Daniel Thomas, Communications Director & Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, T: +1 917 225 1913| E: daniel.thomas@un.org
Naomi Parekh, Communications Advisor for the President of the General Assembly, T: + 1 917 436 0214| E: parekh1@un.org
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