Annan pays tribute to late Swedish diplomat Gunnar Jarring, veteran of UN affairs

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today paid tribute to Gunnar Jarring, a distinguished Swedish diplomat and veteran of UN affairs who died on Thursday at the age of 94.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Mr. Annan reacted with sadness to the death of Mr. Jarring, noting that his career on the international stage had spanned almost half a century.

"Mr. Jarring was known for his unflinching honesty, integrity, and discretion, as well as his exceptional powers of analysis and persuasion," the spokesman said, adding that the late Swedish diplomat's legacy "will live on as a shining example of the best and most selfless kind of international service."

Mr. Jarring served as Sweden's ambassador to the UN during the 1950s, and as special envoy of the UN Secretary General on the Middle East from 1967 to 1990, according to the statement.