UNGA Prez-elect Abdulla Shahid appoints India’s Deputy as Chef de Cabinet

United Nations, Jun 10 (PTI):
President-elect of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has appointed India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu as his Chef de Cabinet.
Shahid was overwhelmingly elected on June 7 as President of the next session of the UN General Assembly that will commence in September.
He garnered 143 votes out of the 191 ballots cast in the 193-member General Assembly, winning against former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Dr Zalmai Rassoul, who got 48 votes.
“I have appointed Ambassador Thilmeeza Hussain as Special Envoy of the PGA, and Ambassador Nagaraj Naidu Kumar as my Chef de Cabinet. They will be instrumental in delivering my vision for the #PresidencyOfHope,” Shahid tweeted.
Hussain is the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations and Ambassador to the United States.
Naidu described his appointment as the PGA-elect’s Chef de Cabinet as a privilege and said he looks forward to a presidency of hope , which Shahid has set as a cornerstone of his upcoming year-long tenure at the world organisation.
The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 Member States of the UN, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of international issues including peace and security,” Naidu said.
“It is indeed a privilege and an opportunity to serve under the leadership of President-elect Abdulla Shahid. We are looking forward to a Presidency of hope, Naidu told PTI. Shahid, accompanied by Naidu, met current General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir to thank him for his support during the election and discuss the next steps.
Thank you Mr President, for sharing your insights and your experiences with me. We are both committed to a smooth and seamless transition to #UNGA76,” he tweeted.
Bozkir tweeted that he was very pleased” to meet Shahid.
We spoke about the importance of strengthening the Office of the President of the General Assembly and I reassured him of my full support to ensure a successful transition.
Shahid has said his immediate priority will be recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and working to ensure vaccine equity to restore hope from a year characterised by disease, despair and devastation.