Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

I didn't have any intention to intervene or interrupt what the Spokesperson would be doing. I am leaving tomorrow for my trip to Austria and Norway and Geneva. As you know, in Norway I am going to visit the North Pole.

But this morning, I think everybody was surprised and very sad at the news of the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy.

As a person whom I have known a long time, for a person for whom I have had deep respect and admiration, for what he had been doing, in close coordination with the United Nations, of keeping and upholding the ideals and goals of the United Nations, I just wanted to drop by and say a few words sharing the sadness, together with you and all of my staff of the United Nations.

You read my statement already, and I don't need to repeat what he had been doing as a person, as a Senator, as a public servant - it will be long remembered in the minds and in the hearts of many people, particularly vulnerable people, and those people whose human rights have been abused. He had been working tirelessly for the promotion and protection of human rights. He had been the voice of the voiceless and the defender of many defenseless people.

My relationship with him began more officially when he came to my office when I was Secretary-General-designate, on December 17th 2006. He came to see me and to congratulate me. He came to a very small office in UNDP, at that time, and he brought me a gift, a frame where he had put together a photograph which was taken with his brother, John F. Kennedy, when I was a young student. You know that I had an opportunity of visiting the White House and met him in August 1962. In fact, to be honest, I didn't remember, after 47 years, what John F. Kennedy said at that time. All the students were just laughing. But he had found from the Presidential Library the text of remarks John F. Kennedy said at that time. And with that he put a small postcard sized letter saying “JFK MEETS JFK!”. That means President John F. Kennedy meets the John F. Kennedy school graduate. I am a graduate of JFK [Harvard Kennedy School of Government]. Then he [offered his] warmest congratulations on my election as Secretary-General and he wished me good success as Secretary-General.

That was quite moving personally, and I was very much grateful to him and for his thoughtfulness of bringing this historical picture and text together with his own congratulations on my election.

Then in January, early January, the first person to whom I paid a visit was him, Senator Kennedy, in Washington. I visited his office on Capitol Hill. That is what I remember.

Of course, you know, I had seen him a long, long time ago, in 1983, when I was accompanying then my Foreign Minister. We visited his office. We discussed all the issues, the democraticization of Korea. That was my recollection of my first meeting with Senator Kennedy.

More officially as Secretary-General, I have been very much benefiting from his strong support for the United Nations, and I am really sad that he died this morning. I would like to really share with you my personal sadness, my personal recollection of a personal relationship with Senator Kennedy.

Thank you very much.