Pelosi Remarks Before Meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Pelosi Remarks Before Meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. -Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a press availability with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before their meeting in the Capitol this morning. Below are their remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Good morning. It's a special occasion indeed to welcome the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the Capitol of the United States once again.

The Secretary-General is a visionary. He's a man of peace, and he has been a leader in calling attention to the global climate crisis. In our first meeting over two years ago, when I first became - when we were both new at our jobs - you came here and told me how urgent the issue was, that national governments must take the lead in fighting climate change and industrialized nations had a crucial rule in doing so.

I'm pleased to say we are moving in that direction. As we speak today, an important committee of the Congress will be working on legislation to combat climate change, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, make our air cleaner for our children to honor our moral responsibility to preserve God's beautiful planet.

The Secretary-General and I have something else in common today. When we leave here, he is going to be speaking at the SAIS - the Johns Hopkins graduate school here in Washington D.C. - and I will be going over to Baltimore to be speaking to the undergraduates who will graduate from Johns Hopkins today.

So, it's wonderful to be on the same program, however geographically separated, with such a distinguished world leader. Again, the Secretary-General has been a leader, a visionary, a person who is highly regarded throughout the world and certainly respected in the Congress of the United States and it's my privilege to welcome him here today.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Thank you, Madam Speaker, for such a warm welcome and compliments for what I have been doing. It's a great privilege and honor to meet you again.

I remember we had a very good meeting soon after you became the Speaker of this Congress, and I have been working very crucially as Secretary-General, particularly with the United States. I regard the sole partnership between the United States and the United Nations as crucially important in promoting world peace and security development and human rights. In that regard, I highly commend and respect for what Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been leading great leadership in those areas.

I'm here to continue our discussions with the Speaker on many issues. How we can further strengthen and enhance such a great and stronger partnership. I'm here to speak, discuss with you, and ask for your leadership in sealing a deal in Copenhagen of December this year for climate change. I note that you are already in the process of taking national legislation.

I'm here to speak about the peace and stability in many areas. You have shown such a great concern and interest and support for peace in Darfur, and also willing to discuss about the situation in Sri Lanka and United States involvement and leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan also will be of great importance.

The United Nations is taking and working very crucially with the United States. In those processes, the Congressional support is vitally important. That's why I'm here. I'm soliciting you again in commitment in providing necessary financial support for peacekeeping operations and also for many developing countries - the most vulnerable and the poorest people who really need our support and assistance - that the United States can provide important contribution through your Congressional leadership.

Again, thank you very much Madam Speaker for such great leadership. I'm very much appreciative.

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you.