Many on social media are offering their congratulations to Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid who was elected as the next President of the UN General Assembly.
Shahid secured the General Assembly Presidency at the elections held yesterday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
He had won the election with 143 votes, out of a total of 191 votes cast.
It marks a historic win for the small island nation as it is the first time the Maldives had presented a candidate for the Presidency of the General Assembly.
The victory meant that the Maldives will be only the sixth President from a Small Island Developing State, presiding over the UN General Assembly in the history of the United Nations.
Shahid's win was celebrated in the diplomatic circles with both President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Speaker of the parliament Mohamed Nasheed acknowledging the victory via Twitter,
President Solih said that congratulated Shahid for winning the election for the Presidency of the 76th UN General Assembly by a resounding margin of 143 votes.
He noted that this is a great honor for the Maldives and said that he had no doubt that Minister Shahid will do the country proud as UNGA President.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the parliament Mohamed Nasheed also offered congratulations to Minister Shahid was for a big win by saying that It's a great day for the Maldives, for small island states, and for climate-vulnerable countries everywhere.
Vice President Faisal Ibrahim also congratulated Minister Shahid for securing the presidency in yesterday's vote.
The Foreign Ministry had confirmed to "The Press" that Shahid would remain as Foreign Minister for now and that further plans and decisions would be revealed in the coming days.
