WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Friday said he was confident that United Nations secretary general-elect Antonio Guterres would be an effective leader of the international organization.
"He has an extraordinary reputation," Obama told reporters ahead of his meeting at the White House with Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal.
Noting that Guterres had led multilateral delegations at the highest levels, Obama said he had "great confidence" that Guterres would be able to ensure that the UN would be able to operate efficiently and effectively when taking on issues such as climate change and the international refugee crisis.
"At a time when those challenges are mounting, having an effective partner in the United Nations secretary general will be critically important," Obama said.
<div id='ndtvrelcontent'></Guterres will take over as head of the world body for five years on January 1, 2017. He was Portugal's prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
Obama and Guterres were expected to discuss cooperation between the United States and the United Nations.
Guterres said he was ready to forge a relationship with US President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
He said he was totally committed "to work closely with the United States in the present administration" and "also with the next administration."
Trump, who takes office January 20, has named South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has relatively little foreign policy experience, as the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
The real estate magnate's unconventional campaign prompted uncertainty about how his administration will handle international relations. Some of his campaign promises, such as building a wall along the US-Mexican border and suggesting NATO partners need to pay more for their security, have raised concerns among allies.
Trump was slated to meet with John Bolton, who served as US ambassador to the UN under President George W. Bush, on Friday Bolton, who is in the running for a cabinet position, has called for major reforms to the UN.
"He has an extraordinary reputation," Obama told reporters ahead of his meeting at the White House with Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal.
Noting that Guterres had led multilateral delegations at the highest levels, Obama said he had "great confidence" that Guterres would be able to ensure that the UN would be able to operate efficiently and effectively when taking on issues such as climate change and the international refugee crisis.
<div id='ndtvrelcontent'></Guterres will take over as head of the world body for five years on January 1, 2017. He was Portugal's prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
Advertisement
Guterres said he was ready to forge a relationship with US President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
Advertisement
Trump, who takes office January 20, has named South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has relatively little foreign policy experience, as the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
Advertisement
Trump was slated to meet with John Bolton, who served as US ambassador to the UN under President George W. Bush, on Friday Bolton, who is in the running for a cabinet position, has called for major reforms to the UN.
© Thomson Reuters 2016
COMMENTS
Advertisement
One In Five Children Gets Exposed To Extreme Heat Globally, Says UN US Names Bald Eagle As National Bird, 200 Years After It Became Country's Symbol UN Chief Calls Killing Of Hamas, Hezbollah Leaders "Dangerous Escalation" Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan 3 Days After Big Order On Deposits With SBI And PNB, Karnataka Hits Pause US Warns Iran Faces "Cataclysmic" Consequences If It Strikes Israel 20 Coaches Of Sabarmati Express Train Derail In UP, No Casualties Two Sisters Returning From Court Run Over By Car In UP: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.