VIENNA, October 14, 2013 (WAFA) – Salah Abdul Shafi, Palestine’s ambassador to Austria, presented on Thursday his credentials as permanent representative for the State of Palestine to Yury Fedotov, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), a statement by the Palestine Mission to Austria said on Monday.

Abdel-Shafi, 51, a Palestinian economist from Gaza, succeeded Zuhair al-Wazir as ambassador to Austria in September.

Before that he served as the Palestinian representative to Germany, the first to officially hold the status of ambassador, and envoy to Sweden.

Abdel Shafi said the Palestinian leadership gives importance to developing its relations with UN agencies and is interested in playing a constructive role in these agencies.

Vienna is one of the four headquarters of the United Nations, along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi.

It is the base for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime among many others, which carry out a number of joint projects in Palestine.

M.S.