Foreign Affairs Minister laments death of former UN chief

The President of the UN General Assembly Miroslav Lajčák stated on Saturday that he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the death of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, describing him as "one of the world's most respected diplomats, an extraordinary statesman, and a visionary champion for multilateralism". Annan, who became the first African to serve as the UN secretary-general (1997-2006) and who also received the Nobel Peace Prize along the UN for his humanitarian work (in 2001), died in Bern, Switzerland on Saturday aged 80. According to Lajčák, Annan was a "strong believer in dialogue and deeply committed defender of peace, development and human rights". "He dedicated his life to making the world a better, more peaceful, and just place for all people. And in many ways, he is a symbol for the shared values of the United Nations," said Lajčák, according to his spokesman at the UN, Brenden Varma.