UN Secretary-General to announce his candidacy for 2nd termJune 5, 2011 - 17:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Ban Ki-moon is planning to formally announce his candidacy for 2nd term as UN secretary-general early next week, UN diplomats said on June 4. The former South Korean foreign minister had already received assurances of support from the United States and other key members of the UN Security Council, diplomats said in March, making his re-election all but certain. UN diplomats said on condition of anonymity that Ban planned to meet on June 5 morning with the so-called Asia Group, a cluster of UN member states that includes nations from Asia and the Middle East, to discuss his candidacy. Afterward, he will hold a news conference at which he will announce publicly he is running for a second term after his first term ends on December 31. Ban is unopposed so far. Officially, UN secretaries-general are elected by the 192-nation UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, Reuters reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |