The Universal Postal Union was saddened to hear of the sudden death of Qatar's trade and business minister, Sheikh Fahd bin Jassim Al-Thani.
Sheikh Al-Thani had visited UPU headquarters in April to formalize Qatar hosting the UPU's 2012 Congress in Doha. Aged 40, he died tragically in a car accident on April 30. He had been appointed minister responsible for the postal service in July 2008.
In a message to the Qatari authorities, UPU Director General Edouard Dayan sent condolences on behalf of the UPU member countries to the minister's family and colleagues. "I feel honoured to have had the privilege of meeting Sheikh Al-Thani when he visited the UPU headquarters to sign the official agreement for the organization of the 25th Universal Postal Congress. I was impressed by his knowledge and commitment to the postal service in Qatar," Dayan said. He will not only be missed in his country but also by the UPU postal family,Dayan added.