UN General Assembly
2005

It is my pleasure to congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixtieth session. Your renowned experience in international affairs, especially in the United Nations system, will undoubtedly guarantee success for our deliberations. I cannot fail to seize this opportunity to express to your predecessor, Mr. Jean Ping, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, our thanks and appreciation for his efforts towards the successful conduct of the deliberations of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly. It also gives me pleasure to express to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, our appreciation for his efforts to implement the resolutions of the Organization and to fulfil the purposes of its Charter. During the 60 years of its existence, the United Nations has witnessed heated debates and bitter differences. Yet this Organization remains a forum for dialogue among nations on the means of building a secure world. While we agree with others on the need to reform the United Nations and take new international developments into account, we stress that