The Secretary-General met yesterday with H.E. Albert del Rosario, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines.

The issues the two leaders discussed included UN-ASEAN cooperation, Myanmar, the Millennium Development Goals, sustainable development and maternal and children's health.

The Secretary-General commended the Government for its ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of finding a lasting solution to the long-running conflict in Mindanao through dialogue and encouraged the Government to redouble its efforts to that effect.

On regional disputes, the Secretary-General underlined the need for cooperation among all concerned in the interest of stability, mutual trust and peaceful resolution of disputes.