UK, US diplomats accorded friendly farewell

Samar Yahya JEDDAH — Consuls general of Britain and the United States, Mohammed Shokat and Todd Holmstrom, were accorded a friendly farewell by their Lebanese counterpart Ziad Atallah at the Lebanese consulate here recently. Shokat and Holmstorm are leaving the Kingdom at the end of their tenures here. Lebanese and Saudi national anthems were played at the start of the ceremony. Welcoming the guests, Atallah said: “In our diplomatic career we meet three types of people, acquaintances, colleagues and friends. We are here to bid farewell to two of our friends; the UK and USA consuls general Mohammed Shokat and Todd Holmstorm. “They are known for their hard and effective work. They are friends to us and to the Lebanese community. I met Shokat in Jeddah as he was here before me. We will lose a dynamic and elegant consul general who never spared an opportunity to share his social, economic or political analyses. Similarly, Attalah said, besides many achievements, Holmstrom has given educational and cultural dimensions to the American school in Jeddah. "He wasted no opportunity to strengthen the US-Saudi relations and enhanced his consolidated ties with Lebanese consulate and community.” UK Ambassador Simon Collis thanked Atallah and said: “I worked with Shokat earlier in Qatar and I was pleased to know that Shokat is in Jeddah when I was posted in Riyadh. Thanks to Shokat and his wife Rukhsana for the tremendous job they have been doing.” Shokat also heaped praises on Atallah and all the guests and said: “For five years I talked about relations between the two kingdoms. The people-to-people relationship is amazing and that is what really matters. I will never forget my friends and friendships I made during our stay in Jeddah. We spent five fantastic years in Jeddah.” Holmstrom thanked Atallah and all guests and said: “It is difficult to leave all the friends here, but I am sure that there will be further opportunities to meet again in Jeddah, Washington or at any other place. I have been here for two years and lots of significant changes have happened in many fields. Relations between people are strong. People always add to these relationships. Education also builds relationships between people. Youth and women are also strengthening the relations.”