EU high level presence at UNGA in New York

The European Union will be represented by its top leaders at the 66th UN General Assembly in New York next week. In addition to EU President Herman Van Rompuy, the 27-member European bloc will be represented by the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and four other EU Commissioners. "It is a great honour for me to be the first EU representative to address the gathering of world leaders at the UN," said Van Rompuy in press statements. "I am keen to promote at the UN General Assembly the EU's position on climate change, sustainable development, the Arab Spring and the Middle East peace process and global interdependence," he added. A UN resolution adopted last May invites the EU for the first time to participate in the general debate of the General Assembly and establishes the right for EU High Representative to present the positions of the EU and its member states at the UN. Prior to this resolution, EU positions were expressed through representatives of the six-month rotating EU presidency at the UN General Assembly. The Middle East Peace Process, the Arab Spring, Libya and Syria will dominate meeting agendas of Ashton in New York, said a statement by her office. The 66th session of the UN General Assembly opened officially on 13 September. The General debate starts on 21 September. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will visit New York from 19 to 22 September to attend the Friends of Libya meeting and the United Nations General Assembly. During his visit, the Secretary General will meet with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and also hold consultations with several Heads of State and Government, as well as ministers and heads of other international organizations, according to a NATO statement.