UNITED NATIONS, May 27: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday paid tributes to 115 UN peacekeepers, both military and civilian, from 39 countries, including 20 from Pakistan, who lost their lives last year while serving under the UN flag. They were awarded posthumous medals at a ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Some 80,000 UN peacekeepers are currently serving around the world.

In a statement, Mr Annan said: “I particularly acknowledge the contributions of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, which together provide more than one-third of all UN peacekeepers.” He acknowledged the strong contribution from Pakistan (9,782 personnel), Bangladesh (7,942) and India (6,081), which provide more than one-third of all UN peacekeepers.