The Hindu : National : China backs Asian for U.N. Secretary-General

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 21, 2006

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National

China backs Asian for U.N. Secretary-General

BEIJING: The Chinese Government is firmly advocating the appointment of an Asian as the next United Nations Secretary-General, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said here on Tuesday.

The Chinese Government believed that Asia had the ability to select a prestigious and competent candidate acceptable to the world community.

Asked to comment on India's candidate Shashi Tharoor, Ms. Jiang said the selection of the next Secretary-General was a major U.N. event. No Asian had held the post for 34 years.

Comprehensive consultations should be held on the selection, Ms. Jiang said.

Three other Asian countries have also named candidates: Sri Lankan diplomat and former U.N. disarmament chief Jayant Dhanapala, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiat Sathirathai and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon. — Xinhua

Tharoor meets Advani, Jaswant

Special Correspondent reports from New Delhi:

Mr. Tharoor met Leaders of the Opposition in Parliament L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh here. They conveyed to him the Bharatiya Janata Party's good wishes.

Separately, party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Mr. Tharoor's candidature should in no way affect India's claim to a seat in an expanded Security Council.

That claim was linked to the long overdue U.N. reforms. Since India was not a member of the Security Council now, Mr. Tharoor's candidature was very much in order.

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