Serbian candidate third in new round of voting at UNSG

Serbian candidate third in new round of voting at UNSG

B92.net has learned unofficially that Jeremic, who in the past also served as president of the UN General Assembly, received seven encourage, five discourage, and three no opinion votes.

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres placed first with 11 encourage, three discourage and one no opinion.

Former Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak was behind him with nine encourage, three discourage, and one no opinion.

In a statement after the straw poll at the UNSC, Jeremic noted that Serbia progressed to the final stages of the selection process, adding, "I think we can be very satisfied with that."

According to him, the processes in now entering its most complex phase, where five permanent Council members will start "intensive conversations to consider the names of the most successful candidates."

"We will continue our intensive campaign ahead of the fourth round of voting, which is expected in September," said Jeremic. Reuters is reporting, quoting unnamed diplomats, that UNESCO chief Irina Bokova of Bulgaria placed the same as Jeremic with seven encourage, five discourage and three no opinion votes.

They are followed by Susana Malcorra (Argentina), Srgjan Kerim (Macedonia), Helen Clark (New Zealand), Danilo Turk (Slovenia), Natalia Gherman (Moldova), and Christiana Figueres (Costa Rica).

Previously, Vesna Pusic (Croatia), and Igor Luksic (Montenegro) dropped out of the race.

Unnamed diplomats also said that the Council has the goal of recommending a candidate to the UN General Assembly by October.

"Ultimately," writes Reuters, the five permanent Council members with veto power - the United States, Russia, Britain, China and France "must agree on a candidate."