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Maldives congratulates new UN chief, pledges to work closely with UN

Xinhua, October 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Maldives government on Thursday congratulated new United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and said the island nation would support and work closely with the new UN chief.

In a statement released by the Maldives Foreign Ministry, it said that as a country which looks upon the United Nations as the guarantor of international peace and security, the Maldives stands ready to extend its support and looks forward to working with Guterres as he gets ready for the assignment as the new secretary-general.

"Guterres is entering the office at a time where a diverse range of global challenges need to be addressed, including mitigating the impacts of climate change, promoting sustainable development over the next fifteen years and beyond, deescalating and resolving violent conflicts, finding a solution to the refugee crisis, and countering the threat of terrorism and violent extremism around the world," the statement said.

The Maldives hopes that the inherent economic, environmental, and institutional vulnerabilities that are associated with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Maldives will continue to be given special focus within the United Nations support mechanisms, it said. Endit