Assembly chief takes part in independence celebration in Republic of Congo

The President of the United Nations General Assembly has just wrapped up a three-day official visit to the Republic of Congo that included the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Ali Treki attended the military and civil parade held in the capital, Brazzaville, on 15 August, as the special guest of President Sassou Nguesso, and met with several heads of State and government and other eminent personalities.

Dr. Treki, who arrived in the country on 13 August, discussed a number of issues with Mr. Nguesso such as the challenges and opportunities related to peace and security and development in Africa.

“They emphasized that Africa’s true potential, unity and efforts for integration needed to be utilized fully in order for the continent to enjoy its rightful place in the world,” the Assembly President’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Mr. Nguesso accepted Dr. Treki’s invitation to attend the high-level meeting of the Assembly in September on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the anti-poverty targets world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015.

The two men also stressed the need to ensure the full representation of Africa in the context of efforts to revitalize the 192-member Assembly and reform the Security Council.

During the visit, Dr. Treki also met with a number of other Congolese officials as well as representatives of the UN family in the country who briefed him on the world body’s activities there.