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  • Jul 3rd, 2006
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Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and Prime Minister Lusia Dias Diogo of Mozambique on Sunday called on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and discussed issues relating to the United Nations secretary general's high-level panel on system-wide coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment.

The three premiers discussed the issues that are before the panel and the strategy to make the UN system efficient and effective in these areas.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has established the 15-member panel of world leaders and personalities to explore how the UN could work more coherently and effectively in the three areas.

Prime Minister Aziz and his counterparts from Norway and Mozambique are the co-chairpersons of the panel.

During the informal exchange of views, Prime Minister Aziz underlined that the efforts of the UN and the international community must be driven by the needs of the recipient countries and that they should themselves set the priorities about their development programmes.

The three members also agreed on the need of having co-ordination among the working of all the organisations and the UN bodies to achieve the desired goals in minimum possible time and resources.

The panel is starting three days consultations in Geneva from Monday as part of its intense effort to bring about coherence and efficiency in the UN system in terms of the mandate given by the world leaders at the World Summit in September 2005.

The panel also had its session in Pakistan that focused on the natural disasters like earthquake and responses to such calamities.

In Geneva, the Panel would follow-up on its extensive discussions it had in New York and Madrid early this year. After taking inputs from member-states and world organisations, the panel would prepare recommendations that are likely to be presented to the next session of the UN General Assembly in September this year.

On Monday, Prime Minister Aziz will also address the High Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council on "Working out Poverty."

He will also participate in a number of other important meetings, including delivering a key-note address to the High-Level Segment of Ecosoc, speaking to a leading think-tank, the Pakistani community, European business leaders as well as the international media.

Earlier when Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz arrived in Geneva he was received at the airport by Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Masood Khan, Representative of UN David Chivktrec, representatives of the Swiss government and the UN secretary-general.

Pakistan's Ambassador to Switzerland Fauzia Abbas was also present.

The prime minister was accompanied by Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Environment Malik Amin Aslam Khan and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem.

Earlier, while flying over the Turkish air space en route to Geneva, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in a message to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Pakistan and Turkey enjoy close friendship that will continue to grow with the passage of time.

"Pakistan and Turkey are good friends and with you as Prime Minister, our friendship will grown even closer," he said in a goodwill message.

The Prime Minister said every Pakistani was proud of the progress Turkey has made.

Prime Minister Erdogan while reciprocating the sentiments extended his warm greetings to Prime Minister Aziz and reaffirmed the strong ties that existed between the two countries.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2006


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