Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and head of its delegation to the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, delivered the following speech before the session today: Mr. President, I would like to begin by extending my most sincere congratulations to you and your country Macedonia on your election as president of the Sixty Second Session of the U.N. General Assembly. I am confident that your diplomatic expertise and thorough knowledge of international affairs will guarantee the success of this session. I would like to express my appreciation to your predecessor, Her Excellency Haya Rashid Al Khalifa, who presided over the previous session with wisdom and capability. The commendable efforts of His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, were essential for maintaining the role played by the United Nations and upholding its principles, despite these difficult times and crucial challenges we face. He has our full support and deepest gratitude. The previous Secretary General, the Honorable Kofi Annan, certainly deserves our sincere thanks and appreciation for his excellent work during his tenure at the U. N. Mr. President , Our world is experiencing ever-accelerating political, economic and social changes, characterized by increased complexity. It is vital that we cooperate with each other now more than ever, under the banner of the U.N. to manage the complex issues and changes with which we are faced. Balanced and health relations among countries, based on respect of international legitimacy and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, in a manner that guarantees justice and deepens mutual confidence and true partnership, are essential in achieving this. By promoting sound relations and understanding between countries we will be best equipped to meet future challenges and to respond to them in a way that will be beneficial to the whole of humanity. --More
