The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cutting the ribbon to open Qatar East Lounge on the first floor of the UN headquarters in New York yesterday.
New York: The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday opened the Qatar East Lounge on the first floor of the United Nations headquarters, overlooking Harlem River in east New York.
Before the opening, Dr Al Attiyah said the lounge is a gift from Qatar to the UN and an expression of the value of the international organisation.
Ban hailed the opening as historic, saying the lounge reflects Qatar’s culture.
“For many years, Qatar has been host to important meetings on issues at the top of the international agenda.
“This generous contribution is just a fraction of what Qatar provides to the work of the United Nations for development and peace.
I especially value Qatar’s advocacy on important issues, including autism awareness,” Ban added.
Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, H E Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani said the opening coincided with the start of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly and hoped the lounge will provide a platform for bilateral negotiations among member states.
The 68th General Assembly President, John W Ashe, attended the opening, along with the president of the previous General Assembly and former Serbian foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic.
A number of permanent representatives of member states and assistants of the secretary-general were also present.
QNA
