Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has returned to Maldives after his landslide win in the presidential election of the General Assembly in the United Nations.

FM Shahid, the UNGA President-elect returned to Maldives on Sunday, after having visited the U.S for the polls.

During his visit to New York, the foreign minister held meetings with several foreign dignitaries even after his historic victory at the UNGA presidential election held on June 7. During these meetings he engaged in discussions revolving around his tenure as UNGA president.

Maldives won the election held on June 7 to determine the successor of current UN General Assembly’s president, Volkan Bozkir, with FM Shahid leading the votes with 143 out of 191 votes cast. FM Shahid emerged successful against Afghanistan’s Zalmai Rassoul.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih nominated the Maldives minister as the country’s candidate for the elections’ Asia-Pacific Group’s turn session to commence on 14 September.

FM Shahid has the privilege of being the first ever candidate Maldives has presented for the UNGA presidency and he will be the sixth president from a Small Island Developing State to preside over the UNGA in UN’s history.

Following his overwhelming victory, the foreign minister accredited it to the exemplary work of the foreign ministry team. Further FM Shahid assured that special attention will be given to expand efforts to vaccinate the population under the Covid-19 inoculation drive, as well as strengthening efforts to make the 76th UN General Assembly, a historically successful one.

FM Shahid has since appointed Maldives Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the United States, Thilmeeza Hussain as the Special Envoy of the PGA and India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, K Nagaraj Naidu as his Chef du Cabinet.