SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday congratulated Antonio Guterres on his reappointment as the secretary-general of the United Nations.
“I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to address challenges facing the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the world,” Barzani said in a tweet.
Guterres was appointed for a second-five year-term on Friday by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly.
The 15-member Security Council earlier this month recommended the General Assembly re-appoint Guterres. His second term starts on January 1, 2022.
“I will give it my all to ensure the blossoming of trust between and among nations large and small, to build bridges, and to engage relentlessly in confidence building,” Guterres told the General Assembly after taking the oath of office, according to Reuters.
Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017, just weeks before Donald Trump became U.S. president. Much of Guterres’ first term was focused on placating Trump, who questioned the value of the United Nations and multilateralism.
Guterres, 72, was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and head of the U.N. refugee agency from 2005 to 2015. As secretary-general, he has been a cheerleader for climate action, COVID-19 vaccines for all and digital cooperation.
