UN General Assembly elects Slovakia’s Miroslav Lajcak as next president

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 (APP): The UN General Assembly Wednesday elected Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak as president of its 72nd session which is scheduled to begin on September 18.
As the only candidate nominated for the position, Lajcak, 54, was
elected by acclamation by the 193-member Assembly.
Foreign Minister Lajcak was Slovak ambassador to Japan from 1994 to
1998. He also ran for the position of UN Secretary-General in 2016.
Lajcak will replace the current president, Peter Thomson of Fiji.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres congratulated Lajcak on his
election, saying he has always demonstrated an “impressive command” of all aspects of UN action and a strong commitment to the principles that govern our work.
Lajcak has expressed his firm belief that “strengthening the UN is the
best investment to achieve the universal desire for peace, development, equality and justice in the world,” the UN chief said.
“I think that both of us saw high expectations and got a strong sense of how much governments and people need the United Nations to respond to the deserving cries of people around the world for lasting peace, justice, human rights and human dignity,” Guterres said.
The UN chief thanked Thomson for his leadership over the past year,
voicing appreciation for guiding the General Assembly “outstandingly well” during the transition from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Guterres taking charge at the helm of the UN.
“Your very strong commitment to the implementation of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement on Climate change and your enthusiastic leadership in relation to the Oceans Conference represent a legacy that will never be forgotten in the United Nations,” Guterres said.