NEW YORK CITY (PIA)– President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of 14 member states of the United Nations on the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly (UNGA) to foster Philippine relations with other nations.

The President arrived here Monday morning (4:45 a.m. New York time) to participate in the UN High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the President will hold bilateral talks with leaders of ‘’small” nations that include St. Vincent and Grenadines, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Slovenia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Andorra, San Marino, Comoros, Cyprus, Senegal, and Antigua and Barbuda.

At present, these countries have ”few or no political and or economic ties with the Philippines.”
Nevertheless, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said holding bilateral meetings with these nations will be important for the Philippines in the long term.

”A country is a country whether big or small. Relations with every country is very important for the Philippines,” Dureza said.

”We have so many concerns. Investments will be one of them. Of course, being part of the global village, every nation big or small is counted as one,” Dureza added.

He said the President’s bilateral talks with the leaders of these small nations will push the Philippines’ ”participation in international agencies.”

This includes the bid of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for a seat in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Securing a seat in the ICJ is of fundamental interest to the Philippines, as it “would facilitate Philippine contributions to the progressive development of international law reflecting the perspectives and concerns of developing countries,” Dureza said. (Philippine Information Agency)