Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, attended a tribute to the memory of late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, on Monday at a plenary meeting of the General Assembly. She was accompanied by a delegation of UAE diplomats posted at the mission.
The event included statements from the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Sam K. Kutesa, both of which acknowledged the remarkable impact he made in his country and world affairs.
On behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as a Chair of the GCC, the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar highlighted the King’s significant contributions to regional and global efforts in the fight against poverty, as well as in the promotion of peace and prosperity in many affected regions of the world.
The US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Samantha Power, on behalf of the host country of the UN, also made a statement in tribute to the late monarch.
At the conclusion of the event, Ambassador Lana said, “Here at the UN, we have seen the transformative power of King Abdullah’s humanitarian and visionary leadership. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s partnership with the UN in Iraq has set a new bar for international cooperation for humanitarian relief, and will not only provide assistance for those people affected by the conflict there, but will also contribute to the stability of our region.
“King Abdullah will be remembered as a deeply respected statesman throughout our region and the world. His contribution to Middle East peace, particularly through the Arab Peace initiative, was a transformative policy shift for the Arab world. His loss will be deeply felt, but we are at the same time confident in the wisdom and strength of his successor, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.”