UN General Assembly
1997

﻿My delegation is pleased to greet you, Sir, as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-second session. I congratulate you warmly on your election; we have full confidence in your notable qualities as a wise and experienced diplomat. I wish also to pay tribute to your predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail, for the outstanding manner in which he carried out his responsibilities. We all benefitted from his exceptional ability and his dedication. We were delighted at the election of the illustrious African Mr. Kofi Annan to the post of Secretary-General at a critical time in the history of the Organization. His splendid performance in other high United Nations posts and the creativity and dynamism that have marked the beginning of his term justify the legitimate hopes we have all placed in him. The numerous and complex challenges before us at the dawn of the third millennium can be faced only by the combined will and efforts of all Member States. My Government fully recognizes the prominent role of the United Nations in the constant quest for relevant solutions.