NAM countries show support for Surakiart
Several Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries have shown a positive attitude towards supporting Thailand's caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai to become the next UN secretary-general, caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said yesterday.
Kantathi, who has just returned from a two-day NAM Ministerial Meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia, said he asked all 114 NAM member countries to consider Surakiart as a candidate for the role of UN post. He said the members had agreed in principle and issued a statement saying that that the next UN secretary-general should come from Asia. However, the statement does not specifically outline which of the Asian candidates the group supports, said Kantathi. Kantathi said he had had informal discussions with representatives from several countries during the NAM meeting, many of whom expressed positive support for Surakiat, while others had asked for some time to consider. The selection of the next secretary-general to replace the outgoing Kofi Annan will take place by September. While it is widely agreed that the next secretary-general should come from Asia, there is no requirement governing the nationality of the post-holder.
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