Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as well as the Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Antonio Jose de Irisarri by the Guatemalan government.

The Maldivian minister was conferred the honor of the Republic of Guatemala during a special ceremony held in the Guatemala City on Saturday.

The Order of Antonio Jose de Irisarri, introduced in honor of celebrated Guatemalan statesman and writer Antonio Jose de Irisarri, was introduced by Guatemala in 1973 to honor statesmen.

The honor has been conferred by the Republic of Guatemala to FM Shahid in recognition of his work as the President of the UNGA, through his “Presidency of Hope” comprised of five rays of hope – recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, rebuilding sustainably, responding to the needs of the planet, respecting the human rights of all and revitalizing the UN, as well as his work in foreign service.

FM Shahid arrived in Guatemala on July 13.

During his visit, the Maldivian minister paid a courtesy call on the Guatemalan President, Alejandro Giammattei. The Minister also met with Government Ministers and Senior Officials of Guatemala.

The PGA also met with the heads of 23 different UN agencies operating in the country.