The Secretary-General met today with Foreign Minister Ikouebe of the Republic of Congo, on the margins of the 66th session of the General Assembly. The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister discussed preparations for the senatorial election of 9 October 2011 in Congo, the refugee situation and other peace and security developments in the Central Africa sub-region. They renewed their commitment to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and Congo, especially at a time when the newly established UN Office for Central Africa begins implementation of its mandate for assisting in the consolidation of peace and security in the sub-region. The Secretary-General also thanked the Foreign Minister for the role of his country on the African Union High-level Panel on Libya. The Secretary-General commended efforts made by the Republic of Congo to protect the environment and address the challenges of climate change, including efforts to enhance the implementation of the MDGs.