Bulgarian Intellectuals Urge Support for Irina Bokova’s Nomination for Top UN Job
A group of prominent Bulgarian intellectuals have sent an open letter to the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council in support of the country’s nomination of Irina Bokova for the position of Secretary-General of the world organisation.
“The time has come for a woman from Eastern Europe to head the United Nations and this is Mrs. Irina Bokova, who is able to combine the grace of silk with the hardness of steel through her diplomatic governance, consensual decisions and touch,” says the letter signed by about five dozen representatives of Bulgarian diplomatic service, art, science, culture, media and businesses.
On August 29, the Security Council will hold a third straw poll in the selection of a successor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will step down at the end of 2016. The Security Council will choose from 10 candidates who have remained in the race after Montenegro's Foreign Minister Igor Luksic and Croatia's former Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic withdrew from the competition.
Irina Bokova ranked third in the first informal vote in the Security Council held in July. She came in fifth in the second straw poll vote held earlier this month.
Sofia News Agency