Lebanese President receives Abu-Ghazaleh at his Baabda Presidential Office

Beirut, Lebanon ? 4 October 2009 ? H.E. General Michael Suleiman, President of the Lebanese Republic, received on Friday Mr. Talal Abu Ghazaleh, the Founder and CEO of Talal Abu Ghazaleh Group at his office in the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon.

The President and Mr. Abu Ghazaleh discussed several topics, including the efforts of the UN Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (UN-GAID) under the chairmanship of Mr. Abu Ghazaleh towards achieving development through the new information and communication technologies. In this respect, Mr. Abu Ghazaleh confirmed that he will place the capabilities of UN-GAID under the disposal of the President and Lebanon. Mr. Abu Ghazaleh also briefed the President on the program of his group of companies through their 72 branches including their offices in Lebanon. He specifically described the steps currently underway to implement the E-government System in the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to electronically link the Ministry with all Lebanese embassies and consulates around the world for all purposes including the parliamentary elections in 2013.

Mr. Abu Ghazaleh informed the President that Talal Abu Ghazaleh Group has decided to select Beirut as a main office for its activities including its branches in Lebanon.

Mr. Talal Abu- Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), was appointed on June 1, 2009 as the Chairman of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA-GAID).

GAID was established by the UN Secretary General in March 2006, to meet the need for an inclusive, multi-stakeholder global forum and platform for policy dialogue and partnership building, to promote the use of ICT for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to enable and catalyze multi-stakeholder partnerships for action under the GAID umbrella.

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