SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH PRESIDENTS OF CAMEROON AND MOZAMBIQUE

Press Release
SG/SM/5790

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH PRESIDENTS OF CAMEROON AND MOZAMBIQUE

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali met yesterday, 23 October, with the Presidents of Cameroon and Mozambique at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively.

In his meeting with President Paul Biya of Cameroon, the Secretary- General congratulated him for the selection of Yaounde as the next venue for the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit.

President Biya briefed the Secretary-General on the democratic process in Cameroon.

At his meeting with the President of Mozambique, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, the Secretary-General apprised the President of United Nations development activities in Africa and the recently held meeting of the High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council on development in Africa and consultations held with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization in that regard.

The President thanked the Secretary-General and the United Nations for their efforts to bring peace to Mozambique, which was considered a success story for the Organization. The President also underlined the need to pay more attention to post-conflict peace-building, as a part of peace-keeping operations.

The Secretary-General briefed the President on the ongoing United Nations accelerated demining programme in Mozambique which was launched in 1994. President Chissano stressed the importance of assisting in cultivating demined lands.

The Secretary-General raised the issue of the Chemical Weapons Convention and urged Mozambique to ratify it.

In his meetings with them, the Secretary-General thanked both Presidents for coming to New York to participate in the special commemorative meeting of the General Assembly, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations.

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