UN chief grants first meeting to Malawi leader
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Thursday granted the first meeting to this year’s General Assembly to Malawi’s leader Peter Mutharika.
From bookings from several world leaders to see him, the secretary general suspended his busy schedule on Thursday morning to host Mutharika first.
In an interview, the Malawi leader expressed delight and gratitude for being given precedence over a horde of close to 200 world leaders to meet the UN’s chief executive.
“I feel this is an honour and privilege to the people of Malawi that were the first ones to have a meeting with him during this year’s General Assembly,” said Mutharika in an interview with Nyasa Times at the end of the 15 minute meeting.
The 69th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 69) convened on Tuesday, 16 September 2014. However, the General Debate, when world leaders speak to the Assembly, will open on Wednesday, 24 September 2014.
The debate’s opening was postponed from Tuesday, 23 September 2014, to accommodate the Climate Summit (resolution A/RES/57/301 and decision 68/512).
The meeting was Mutharika’s first as Malawi’s president having been elected to that office just about three months ago in the May 20 Tripartite elections.
The two leaders, Mutharika and Kin Moon, meeting in the board room of the Secretary General’s office on the 38th floor of the Secretariat Building discussed wide-ranging issues, including the critical role that Malawi is playing in the UN system.
“The Secretary General also commended us for the peaceful transition of power that we experienced in Malawi after the tripartite elections,” said Mutharika who besides attending scheduled UN meetings will use his time in the US to court trade and investment opportunities.
The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues focusing on Malawi and other regional issues as well as the wider global world.
Malawi together with South Africa and Tanzania contributed troops to the Force Intervention Brigade in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mutharika is in the United States of America to attend the 69th United Nations General Assembly which he is expected to address. He left the country on Sunday, 14 September.
Its an honour for a small, poor and underdeveloped country to be hosted first by the un secretary general.i find it very strange when malawians speak bad about country and the president.malawi is a very small country its very laughable to hear some small minds calling for thier home villages to become independent.
Nothing special.He is the first leader to arrive.Has nothing to do at home.Other leaders are busy at home.Ifeel sorry for Malawi to have leaders like that.J.b.was same.
Bib up APM…… good job.
the two leaders discused a range of issuez!!! Mention them
Peter Mutharika must not pretend to be an angel,he wants to arrest Federal System Government and Secession Activists as the way of silencing Malawi towards good governance…
Za ziiiii there is nothing tangible here between Peter Mutharika and the UN Secretary General…
Can you just go to UN and greet the UN Secretary General?
Jealousy people kuteloko zikukuwawani zitsilu inu. Olo mufune olo musafune APM ndi president wanu basi mpaka 2019 wooo. DPP Woyeeeeee!!
Mtima wosakonda dziko lathu sitingapite patali.President akuimira dziko kumeneko ndipo ndibwino kuona kuti UN ikuona kuti Malawi ndi wofunika pogwira ntchito.Palibe chonyozera apa pakuti wakufa lero safa mawa.Mangawa a ndale akhoza kuwonongetsa umodzi wathu chifukwa cha timabanja tochepa ta anthu ena omwe amadya kudzera mu ndale basi.
Peter is the newest president and the un sec general starts with new faces. He already knows and met most of the other presidents, so
No need for them to be seen first.
So please don’t embarrass yourselves by creating a false perception that our president is the most important in The world. Zozikonda basi, when are you going to humble yourselves? Kuzichepetsa is virtue!!!
Is it something important to be first to meet Moon? Chimizi cha dpp inu. Its just a sequence, they could as well have started with any leader even Zuma , Kagame etc so what? Meeting take 15 mins???? Who? Ba Kimoon???Hehe!
Zazii kuchitisa manyazi dziko. Munthu unali ku USA lots of years koma chityolo chili thoooo ..no wonder your advisors and ministers complain when JB goes to USA. .mbuzi zokhazokha
Ali ndwiii, but this Malawian disposition!