Goodluck_Jonathan___Barack_Obama UNITED States President Barack Obama has invited Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan to the White House next Wednesday, a White House statement said yesterday.
This comes on the heels of a presidential delegation President Obama sent last week to attend the inauguration President Jonathan in Abuja.
A statement from the Office of the Special Adviser (Media & Publicity) to the President also said that Jonathan will also participate in the launching of the Global Plan for Elimination of HIV Mother-To-Child Transmission project with former United States President Bill Clinton on June 9 in New York before returning to Nigeria on Friday June 10.
Nigeria is currently one of the nine non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and Jonathan is also expected to participate in one of the Security Council sessions that may decide on a second term for the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.
Twelve foreign leaders, mostly from Africa, have confirmed their participation at the HIV/AIDS Summit.
According to a statement from the Office of the White House Press Secretary, “President Obama will welcome President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria to the White House on Wednesday, June 8.
“The President looks forward to consulting with President Jonathan on the latest regional and global developments, and deepening our strong bilateral partnership.”
Both Nigeria and US officials say the invitation by Obama soon after the April 2011 presidential, state and National Assembly elections is proof that President Jonathan is building substantial confidence with the US government and a rapport with President Obama.
Commenting on the visit announcement, which he also confirmed, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, said the White House invitation is “America’s recognition of the strategic importance of Nigeria to the fulfillment of US global objectives.”
Adefuye stated that the US President and government have realized that “Nigeria now has a president who delivers on his promises.”
He recalled that last year when then Acting President Jonathan met with President Obama in Washington DC at the Nuclear Security summit conveyed by the US president, both presidents discussed the need for free and fair elections in Nigeria in April 2011.
“President Jonathan told President Obama that he would deliver a free and fair elections in Nigeria. Now that promise has been fulfilled,” an elated Adefuye added yesterday in a short chat with The Guardian.
Besides, he said both Nigeria and the US share common objectives on the global arena for a world “free of nuclear proliferation, free of terrorism and a world in which consultations and cooperation takes the place of confrontation.”
The visit on Wednesday, which is Jonathan’s first to White House, will, according to Adefuye “cement the increasing collaboration and cooperation that is existing between Nigeria and the US since President Jonathan took over last year.”
Last year, the US and Nigeria signed the Bi-National Commission, which is a strategic dialogue between both countries, affording Nigeria the opportunity of US government’s ideas and experience in specific areas of domestic affairs, including Transparency and Good Governance, Agriculture and Food Security, Niger Delta Regional Development, and Energy Reform and Investment.
Although Jonathan visited the US and met with President Obama last year during the Nuclear Security summit, the meeting was held at the Washington Convention centre and not in the White House.
However Wednesday’s meeting between the two leaders has been set for the afternoon at the White House after Jonathan would have addressed a High Level Summit on HIV/AIDS at the United Nations in New York in the morning.
Jonathan is expected to arrive in New York on Monday night and address the Security Council on Tuesday morning during the Council’s debate on HIV/AIDS and international security.
The following, day he will address the High Level Summit on the same subject. About 30 presidents, heads of state and prime ministers are expected at the summit.
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