TIL Desk/World/UN-India has welcomed the selection of Portugal’s former premier Antonio Guterres as the next UN Secretary General to replace Ban Ki-moon at the beginning of next year. “Congratulations & Best wishes. India welcomes Antonio Manuel de Olivera Guterres as next Secretary General of @UN,” India’s Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.
Akbaruddin’s tweet was accompanied with a picture of Guterres shaking hands with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Guterres had met Swaraj during his visit to New Delhi in July this year. Guterres, the 67-year-old former head of UN’s refugee organisation for 10 years, emerged as a leading candidate in all of the Security Council’s straw polls.
The 15-nation Council conducted a sixth straw poll yesterday in which Guterres received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes. None of the five veto-wielding permanent members voted against him, clearing the way for Guterres to become the 9th Secretary General of the UN.
