President John Dramani Mahama has held discussions with Alex Soros, Chairman of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), on potential partnerships to support regional integration efforts under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The meeting took place in New York on Sunday, September 20, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, as President Mahama began a series of engagements ahead of the global gathering.

According to a statement from the Presidency, Mr Soros and the Open Society Foundations are interested in exploring areas of partnership and possible support for ECOWAS integration efforts.

The meeting is expected to serve as a precursor to a presidential roundtable being coordinated by the Foundation.

The planned roundtable will bring together selected African presidents and chief executives of major global foundations, including the Gates, Ford, Open Society, Hewlett Packard, Hilton, Rockefeller, Humanity United, Anglo American, Chandler and UBS Optimus foundations, among others.

The engagement could provide an opportunity for discussions on regional governance, institutional development and civic participation, subject to the outcome of the proposed engagements.

The Open Society Foundations, founded by philanthropist George Soros, supports initiatives in areas including democratic governance, human rights, justice, education and accountable institutions.

The meeting forms part of President Mahama’s diplomatic and development-related engagements in New York ahead of the 81st UN General Assembly.