Next UN Chief Should Be Eastern European, Russia's Envoy Says

For the first time the next United Nations Secretary General should be a representative of the group of eastern European countries in the world organization, Russia's envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin has said.

There are already "several decent potential candidates from eastern Europe", Churkin said in an interview with TASS.

"In my opinion, they are very respectable people who can lead the organization," Churkin told the Russian news agency.

"There is a woman among them, Irina Bokova. As it appears, other female candidates will also emerge, which is why I think that eventually everyone will be happy."

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and European Commission Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva, both Bulgarian nationals, are among the possible nominees for succeeding Ban Ki-moon, according to a recent article published by The New York Times.

Ban Ki-moon first took office as UN Secretary-General on January 1, 2007. He will step down at the end of next year when his second term of office expires. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council. The election campaign will be officially launched in a year's time.

So far, no UN Secretary General has come from the group of Eastern European countries. None of them has been a woman either.