UNGA President Shaheed Holds a Press Conference Without Journalists

Returning to one's own country is always a pleasure and that visiting it as the President of the United Nations General Assembly was doubly pleasing, said Abdulla Shahid; who is both the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

At a joint press conference with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Minister/President Shahid said that today was a victory for the Maldives in the international community. He stated that the international community had accepted the Maldives' victory.

It should be noted that there were no journalists present at the press conference. It is unclear why UNGA President Shahid and President Solih held a press conference without any journalists in the audience.

He said that the Maldives had joined the United Nations, 55 years ago, as one of its smallest member-states. Yet, he continued, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Maldivian people have shown that a country's size siad nothing about a country's capability. He said that the Maldives was an example of a fighter for the equality of all of the member-states of the United Nations.

Minister/President Shahid further said that his presidency of the United Nations General Assembly was one of hope. He pointed out that the Maldives was always in a precarious position, in terms of its economy and its geography, but he said that Maldivians had always been brave in the face of those circumstances, without losing hope. Minister/President Shahid said that he brought that bravery to his presidency of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said that he would not forget the support given by President Solih.