President Jonathan arrives New York for the UN General Assembly

President Goodluck Jonathan arrived at the JFK International Airport in New York, United States early yesterday, ahead of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the president was received by the supervising  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, the  Nigerian Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu and the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Ade Adefuye.

The president was later received  at the city centre by the Minister of State for Works and supervising Minister, National Planning Commission, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State.

Jonathan is scheduled to meet with about 250 selected Nigerian professionals in the US later in the day and would also meet the US President, Mr. Barrak Obama on a later date.

The president is expected to hold five bilateral meetings that will cover the EU, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, as well as Trinidad and Tobago.

This year’s UNGA is a unique one for Nigeria as President Jonathan will be among the four world leaders and the first African leader to address the UN General Assembly.

He will be speaking after the leaders of Brazil, US and Turkey.
After the president’s address, Yuguda will be chairing the side event, organised by the Leading Group of Innovative Financing for Development, a global body, which has 63 member nations and many international non-governmental organisations.