UN General Assembly
1999

Mr. President, it gives me pleasure to extend to you, on behalf of the delegation of the United Arab Emirates, my congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. I am confident that your experience, diplomatic skills and political ability will contribute effectively and positively to the success of the session’s proceedings. I should also like to express my thanks to your predecessor, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Mr. Didier Opertti, for the prudent manner in which he directed the work of the previous session. I avail myself of this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his efforts in strengthening the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. We welcome the admission of the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga to membership in the United Nations, which strengthens its universality. As this session convenes on the eve of the third millennium, the international environment remains