President Dr. Arif Alvi received the President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA), Mr. Volkan Bozkir, today. Views were exchanged on a wide range of issues.
The President expressed Pakistan’s strong commitment to the central role of the UN in upholding multilateralism to foster peace, prosperity and harmony around the globe.
The President also called for the implementation of the UN resolutions that affirmed the inalienable right to self-determination of the peoples of Palestine and Jammu & Kashmir.
To mitigate the social and economic impacts of Covid-19 on the developing countries, the President underscored the importance of ensuring universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine. He commended the role of PGA in convening a special meeting of the General Assembly on 21 May 2021 to discuss the situation in Palestine. He underlined the need to promote morality, tolerance, justice and righteousness in international relations and all platforms of United Nations in order to address contemporary forms of racism such as Islamophobia.
PGA Mr. Bozkir briefed the President on the various initiatives undertaken during his Presidency of the UN General Assembly to address key international political and socio-economic issues.
Later, at a Special Investiture Ceremony, the President conferred the Award of ‘Hilal-e-Pakistan’ on Mr. Bozkir. The ceremony was attended by Federal Ministers, senior officials of the Government of Pakistan, and members of Diplomatic Corps. The award was conferred in recognition of Mr. Bozkir’s outstanding services for the promotion of international peace, security and sustainable development, in his capacity as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Mr. Bozkir is on an official visit to Pakistan from 26 to 28 May 2021 on the invitation of Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Mr. Bozkir – the first Turkish national to preside over the UN General Assembly – is a former diplomat and a senior politician.
