New york: Angolan President Joo Lourenço held a series of high-level meetings Monday in New York with European officials, United Nations executives, and academic leaders to bolster international cooperation and economic development. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, which runs September 22-28. According to Angola Press News Agency, during a meeting with António Costa, Lourenço discussed deepening the partnership between Angola and the European Union, with an emphasis on economic investment, economic diversification, connectivity, the Lobito Corridor, and the Global Gateway initiative. Lourenço also conferred with Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, to review development priorities for Angola and Africa. In separate sessions, the Angolan president met with Rob Walton, president of the Rob Walton Foundation, to evaluate project progress and identify key issues related to implementat ion and fundraising. He also met with James Owan, executive director of The HALO Trust, who presented Lourenço with a commemorative gift recognizing Angola's long-standing partnership and continued commitment to demining operations. The diplomatic push included talks with UN Under-Secretary-General Anacláudia Rossbach, executive director of UN-Habitat, regarding sustainable urbanization, the New Urban Agenda, and progress toward establishing an official UN-Habitat institutional presence in Angola. Joo Lourenço also held a one-on-one session with Miguel Angel Moratinos, UN Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, and Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. The meeting built on momentum from a recent forum in Luanda to advance intercultural and interreligious dialogue while working to prevent religious extremism. Lourenço is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday while continuing his bilateral diplomatic agenda.
