Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been chosen to lead the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, placing the veteran diplomat at the helm of the world body's largest deliberative forum when the new session opens in September.
Out of 190 ballots, Rahman got 99 votes, while his rival from the Greek Cypriot Administration trailed with 91.
Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the current General Assembly president, "warmly" congratulated Rahman over his election.
Pledging to work together until Rahman takes office, she said: "The role of the president of the General Assembly is no longer simply procedural, reading out notes, because even in the procedural rules themselves, they are being challenged, as we have experienced many times before."
Saying that the 81st session will not become "any easier over the next three months," Baerbock stressed that Rahman is "more than prepared" for the position, adding that "your decade of diplomatic and multilateral experience will serve you well during what promises to be a particularly consequential 81st session as you work to build a more effective, responsive, and trusted multilateral system."
