UNGA President-elect Volkan Bozkir arrives in Islamabad for two-day visit

ISLAMABAD: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President-elect Volkan Bozkir arrived in Islamabad on Sunday for a two-day visit after his trip was postponed last month due to “technical flight problems”.

Senior officials received him at the Islamabad Airport, Radio Pakistan reported.

He is undertaking the visit at the invitation of the Pakistani government.

The Foreign Office, while announcing the visit, said Bozkir would meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

"The visit itself is an important one to inter alia highlight Pakistan’s strong and substantive contributions to UN efforts in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security, especially through our contribution to the UN Peacekeeping Operations around the world," read a statement by the Foreign Office.

“Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will have wide-ranging talks with President-elect Volkan Bozkir on issues relating to the three main pillars of the United Nations’ work, i.e. peace and security, development, and human rights”, the statement added.

Pakistan has said it remains committed to supporting the role of the UNGA on questions relating to international peace and security; economic and social development; promotion and protection of human rights; peaceful settlement of international disputes; refraining from the threat of use of force; and developing friendly relations among nations based on the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as enshrined in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Bozkir is the first-ever Turkish national to be elected to the Office of the President of the UNGA.

He will be leading a historic and unprecedented General Assembly Session as the UN commemorates the 75th anniversary of its establishment this year.

The general debate of the General Assembly, traditionally the most high-profile UN event of the year will be a slimmed-down affair this September, with world leaders staying away from New York, and contributing set-piece speeches via video link, a UN spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

Each member state, observer state, and the European Union have been invited to submit a pre-recorded video, delivered by its designated high-level official, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall.

“The Hall will not be empty as the videos will be introduced by a representative of each state, who will be physically present”, said the spokesman at the UN.