After addressing the Opening Debate of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met with several world leaders on the sidelines of the event. The President first held a bilateral meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, the two leaders discussed the ongoing peace and development efforts in Mindanao.
The President, together with Secretary Romulo and NEDA Director General Secretary Ralph Recto, also met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Talks were also held between President Arroyo and Deputy Prime Minister Lenox Daniel of St. Vincent and Grenadines; Prime Minister Douglas Denzil of St. Kitts and Nevis; His Excellency Albert Pintat Santolaris of Andorra; Secretary of State and Political Affairs Florenzo Stolfl and Foreign Minister Florentino Stolzi of San Marino; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and President Martin Torrijos and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro of Panama, New York City, U.S.A. September 23, 2008