UN General Assembly
2018

May I begin by congratulating Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly. The stewardship of this session by an accomplished leader of her rank and stature will undoubtedly lend to the proceedings of the Assembly greater credence and strength. I also commend Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his able guidance during the previous session. We appreciate Secretary-General António Guterres for his exemplary leadership of the Organization, and support his efforts to instil a new sense of mission and direction within the United Nations. We offer our profound condolences over the passing of the late former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was a leading light and a driving force in taking the United Nations agenda forward into the twenty-first century. We also express our deep sympathy and condolences to the Government and people of Indonesia over the damage caused by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.