Mr, President,
I stand here today as a representative of a nation with strong ancestral ties to the African Continent to welcome your election to the Presidency of this 69th session of the General Assembly. We are
confident that the experience and skills that you bring to this high office wilt be invaluable as we tackle the myriad challenges that confront us today.
To your predecessor, Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, I convey sincere appreciation for the leadership and vision that he showed in guiding our work; not the least of which was the success he achieved in "setting the stage" for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.