Firdevs Bulut
18 June 2020•Update: 18 June 2020
ANKARA
Turkey congratulated Ambassador Volkan Bozkir on Wednesday for his election to the position of the presidency of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
"Ambassador Volkan Bozkir, former Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Chairman of the Commission of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, was elected on 17 June 2020 as the President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“Elected by the full support from the overwhelming majority of UN Member States, Ambassador Bozkir is expected to take office as the President of the 75th UN General Assembly on 15 September 2020 for a duration of one year," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It was emphasized in the statement that a Turkish citizen will hereby undertake this highest-ranking position within the UN system for the first time in the history of the organization.
"Turkey announced its candidature in 2014 from the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) and Ambassador Bozkir was officially nominated to this position on 12 September 2019.
“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally declared Ambassador Bozkir’s candidacy in his address to the UN General Assembly on 17 September 2019,” the statement said.
“The UN General Assembly, the only body in which all Member States are represented equally, is the key decision-making organ of the UN, serving as the voice and conscience of the international community. For this reason, it is of paramount importance that the General Assembly continues to carry out its mandate decisively and efficiently in the period ahead.”
“The President of the General Assembly assumes a leadership throughout this process and plays a conciliatory role that enables member states to take pertinent decisions on global problems and their solutions, with a perspective to promoting multilateralism and international cooperation.
"It is of particular significance that Ambassador Bozkir will assume his duties as President of the General Assembly during the 75th anniversary of the UN and the challenging times when the UN system seeks effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said.
“With this understanding, we are confident that Ambassador Bozkir, as an experienced diplomat and politician, will successfully fulfil this distinguished responsibility, make valuable contributions to international peace and stability as well as to overcoming this troubled chapter.
“On behalf of Turkey, we wish him every success in his historic duty, which is a source of honour and pride for our nation,” the statement concluded.
