President George Vella held a bilateral meeting with Miguel Ángel Moratinos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations, at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York, a Department of Information statement said.

They discussed the geo-political situation globally and the threats it is posing to multilateralism. President Vella said that dialogue based on values is needed with partners, especially in Africa, with both sides agreeing that youth have a central role in instilling dialogue and mentioned initiatives taken on this front.

The two recalled the adoption of the AOC Mediterranean Strategy that took place during the first Regional Conference hosted by Malta in 2010.

Visiting Ground Zero on Monday afternoon, the President of Malta laid a wreath at the 9/11 Memorial in remembrance of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks of 2001 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Accompanied by the Minister for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality Byron Camilleri and the delegation, President Vella also visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum, dedicated to deepening the public’s understanding of the September 11 terrorist attacks’ continuing impact on the United States and around the world.