His Majesty the King has sent a message of condolence to United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres over the recent death of Mr Kofi Annan, former UN secretary-general.

The message reads as follows:

“Thailand joins the international community and the member states of the UN in mourning the demise of Mr Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the UN and Nobel Peace Laureate.  His passing is truly a great loss to all peace-loving nations.

In Thailand, Kofi Annan will always be remembered for his lifelong dedication to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.  Peace and security among nations, economic and social development, freedom and human rights, these were the noble causes to which he pledged his life and tireless work.  And indeed, we all have, directly or indirectly, become so much the better for it.

In 2006, Secretary-General Kofi Annan came to pay tribute, on behalf of the organization, to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, our late revered monarch, with the UNDP Lifetime Achievement Award for Human Development.  No other symbol of recognition could have brought the United Nations closer to the hearts of the people of Thailand.

I wish, on behalf of the people of Thailand, to express our deepest sympathy and condolences to your excellency, and through you, to the members of his family, to all his friends and former colleagues within the United Nations system, for the great loss of a true international statesman.