President Prodi's visit to New York

President PRODI spent an eventful few days in New York City this week, where he met with major opinion-formers in the diplomatic, media, business and academic fields.

Chief among his contacts was the meeting on November 3 with UN Secretary General Kofi ANNAN. President PRODI thanked UNSG ANNAN for his supportive response to the Commission's recent Communication on EU-UN relations, and he underscored the EU's commitment to multilateralism and the need for the EU and the UN - two like-minded institutions in this regard - to cooperate more closely. Africa also figured prominently in their discussions, including the topics of peacekeeping in Africa (in conjunction with the African Union), HIV/AIDS and the specific conditions in the countries of Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi and Sudan. Finally, they exchanged views on the Middle East and the situation in Iraq.

He also briefed and exchanged views with the EU25 ambassadors to the UN.

On the media side, President PRODI met with high-level US media executives at a breakfast hosted by Mortimer ZUCKERMAN, publisher of the Daily News (NY) and US News and World Report. In addition, the President had Editorial Board meetings with The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

On Monday evening, PRODI was the featured guest of the prestigious Economic Club of New York, where he delivered a speech entitled "The Euro, the EU's Innovation Strategy and the EU's Enlargement".

On Tuesday, November 4, President PRODI addressed New York University Law School, focusing on the benefits of the EU's enlargement in a speech entitled "Cultural Diversity and Shared Values".

In the wake of the recent Eurobarometer poll that identified Israel and the US as top among the countries posing the greatest threat to world peace, President PRODI met with a number of concerned Jewish-American organizations in New York to discuss the findings and to assure them that they do not reflect the Commission's thinking or policy. These groups expressed warm appreciation for the statement issued by the President and agreed to work together to understand the reasons behind the disturbing survey replies.

(Christopher MATTHEWS - New York Delegation)

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• Prodi meets representatives of US Jewish communities (4/11/2003)
• President Prodi's Speech at New York University Law School (4/11/2003)
• President Prodi's Speech at the Economic Club of New York (3/11/2003)
• EU-UN - Commission calls for the EU to renew its commitment to the UN system and multilateralism (10/9/2003)