"Two former top officials hope to head UN"

"Two former top officials hope to head UN"

Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić told the daily Večernje Novosti that "Jeremić certainly would be an excellent candidate, with an unusually rich biography."

"Aside from a person that is qualified, the most important thing is to assess how much that would be in the interest of Serbia. And I believe it would be good for Serbia to have its representative at the helm of the most important international organization that brings together all sovereign states on the planet," said Mrkić.

The tabloid Informer cited a source close to Tadić to report it is possible he would inform Aleksandar Vučić of his plans as they meet on Thursday to discuss Serbia's new government.

"Boris is not interested in parliamentary work, nor in a ministerial position. Therefore, if he strikes a deal with Vučić for his party (NDS) to join the government, he will seek support for his candidacy for the post of head of the UN," the unnamed source was quoted as saying.

Tadić's adviser Marina Komad, while not ruling out the possibility, told the daily that "Boris is currently not thinking about that candidature, but is focused on internal politics," and was for that reason "not engaged in lobbying and does not expect to receive support from domestic political actors."

Speaking on Thursday after his meeting with Vučić, Tadić denied the reports.

“I am not a candidate for the UN Secretary General, and I would like to dedicate all my energy to Serbia so that it could solve its economic, existential and political problems,” he said, and added that it was "not possible for one country to have two candidates for the office, so such rivalry (with Jeremić) is impossible."

Upon returning to Belgrade after a successful stint at the helm of the UNGA, Jeremić, according to Novosti, made no secret of the fact he would like to pursue a career at the top of the world's most powerful organization.

According to this newspaper, Jeremić will likely face competition from former Slovenian President Danilo Turk, Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčak, and General Director of UNESCO Irina Bokova of Bulgaria.

The UN's new chief should take office on January 1, 2017, and his or her term will last five years and may be renewed once.