UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday extended his "best wishes to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who while grieving the death of his cousin, has taken over the leadership of Oman."
In his remarks in a General Assembly meeting on the "tribute to the memory of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of the Sultanate of Oman," the UN chief said he has "every hope that Oman's enduring contributions to regional and international diplomacy will continue, building on the legacy of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos."
"Sultan Qaboos led Oman for nearly half a century and transformed it into the remarkable country it is today," Guterres said. "Under his watch, Oman remained largely immune from the tensions and troubles of the region."
He added Oman has consistently played a critical role in ensuring lines of communication and dialogue among disputing parties.
"Today, we remember and pay homage to the many roads he built - the road of dialogue, the road of understanding, the road of peace," he said.
The Royal Court of Oman had announced on Jan. 11 the death of Sultan Qaboos at the age of 79. Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was chosen to succeed the late sultan.
