JAKARTA (Via PLDT)—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has conveyed to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan her personal and the Philippine government’s support of his proposals for the overhaul and sweeping reforms of the UN.

Annan and the President are here together with other dignitaries from over 100 countries participating in the Asian-African Leaders’ Summit and the Golden Jubilee celebration of the 1955 Bandung Conference.

Originally participated in by 29 Asian and African countries, including the Philippines, the Bandung Conference crafted the historic Bandung Declaration that paved the way for the independence of colonized nations and the subsequent births of the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement.

In an informal exchange on the side of the summit here, President Arroyo told Annan the Philippine government is supporting his UN reform proposal, particularly the creation of a Human Rights Council to replace the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the creation of a UN Peace Building Commission and the expansion of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

The proposed UN Human Rights Council will be smaller, but more empowered and will meet and work year-round unlike the existing CHR, while the Peace Building Commission will help win the peace in post-conflict countries.

The expansion of the UNSC aims to make the powerful UN organ more broadly representative of the international community as a whole and today’s geopolitical realities.

In his keynote address at the Asian African Summit’s opening rites on Thursday, Annan urged world leaders to forge a new deal that will tackle the challenges of development, poverty, security and human rights.

I gratefully congratulate President Yudhoyono for the excellent preparations and warm hospitality accorded to our delegation.

I congratulate him and President Mbeki for bringing together so many leaders of Asia and Africa. The presence of so many of us demonstrates that the value of Asian-African strategic partnership remains even if the Cold War that was the backdrop of the Bandung Conference 50 years ago is no longer here.

In his keynote statement, President Yudhoyono said that the Asian-African strategic relationship based on the new realities should cover three areas: political solidarity, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural relations. Allow me to share some specific thoughts on these three areas from the Philippine perspective.

First, on political stability, I’m inspired by a peace process in the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao that includes an Asian-African cast of friends helping us in our quest for peace and political stability.

The continuing success of the peace talks is driven by a firmly entrenched ground level ceasefire supported by an International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by Malaysia, with participating contingents from Libya and Brunei. I’d like to thank Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia not only for supporting the ceasefire process but also for hosting and facilitating the substantive negotiations. I would also like to thank the government of Indonesia for chairing the Organization of Islamic Conference’s (OIC) Committee of Eight which is monitoring the implementation of the 1996 Peace Accord by the Philippine government with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Second, on economic cooperation. There’s no question that the rising price of oil has the potential to put the brakes on economic expansion. And we all know that the poorest among us suffer the most as a result of higher prices in food, energy and transportation. That’s why in the spirit of economic cooperation, we in the Asian-African Summit must do everything in our power to manage our way through these rough seas by protecting economic growth while minimizing the impact on rising prices.

I therefore call for unity between Asia and Africa for stronger collective action toward preventing a full-blown economic crisis that could be triggered by an unsustainable level of crude oil prices. Most of the demand for and most of the supply of oil come from Asia and Africa, thus I call on leaders of Asia and Africa to do their share in pushing for greater stability in oil prices and offering solutions that will temper the volatility of crude oil prices.

Third, on socio-cultural relations. Religion is an important aspect of culture. The Philippines seeks greater and broader inter-faith dialogues to engender peace and understanding between or two continents and indeed, throughout the world. Asia and Africa are cradles of civilization and our peoples have much to learn from each other’s glorious past. I would also like to congratulate Indonesia for hosting the latest inter-faith dialogue and I look forward to the continuation of this effort.

Having made my three points, let me end, Mr. Chairman, by reiterating that the Philippines stands shoulder to shoulder with all nations in our two continents to carve the new strategic partnership.

JAKARTA (via PLDT)—United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has accepted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s invitation for him to visit the Philippines "anytime soon."

The President and Annan met Thursday on the sidelines of the Asian-African Leaders’ Summit proper that ended here today.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said the details of the visit will subsequently be worked out at the Foreign Ministerial level.

During their brief and informal exchange, Annan recalled their earlier meeting two weeks back in the Vatican City during the funeral rites for Pope John Paul II.

Annan sought President Arroyo’s support for his sweeping UN reform proposals, particularly the replacement of the UN Human Rights Commission with a smaller but more empowered Human Rights Council; the expansion of the UN Security Council, the rotating chairmanship of which the Philippines recently held; and the creation of the UN Peace Building Commission.

JAKARTA (via PLDT)—Philippine-made cars will soon run the streets and boulevards of Ghana in Africa.

This scenario will shape up in the weeks ahead as Filipino and Ghanaian businessmen explore and finalize talks on the export of Philippine-made vehicles to the African country.

The Philippines is also expected to buy products from Ghana, the details of which are not immediately available.

The trade deals will be the direct offshoot of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s bilateral meeting with Ghana President John Agyekum Kufuor and their respective business delegations on the sidelines of the Asian-African Leaders’ Summit which ended here today.

Among those in the Philippine private business delegation with President Arroyo here were Igmidio Jose, president, Motor Parts Manufacturers of the Philippines; Henry Co, president, Ford Philippines; Ms. Elizabeth Lee, president, Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines; Richard Lee, president, Universal Motors Corporation; and Serafin Pantaleon, senior vice president, Toyota Motors Philippines.

In a briefing for members of the Philippine media delegation covering the Asian-African Leaders’ Summit and Asian-African Business Summit here, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said Ghana officials were also very appreciative of President Arroyo’s message in both summits.

The President called on the Asian and African leaders to unite and take immediate concrete steps to address the spiraling oil prices which, she said, could trigger a global economic recession.

Bunye said the Ghanaian leader even envied the Philippines, which is only 60% dependent on imported fuel for its energy needs. Ghana is 100 percent dependent on such fuel requirements.