Qatar’s envoy tipped to head UN General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS, March 30: Qatar`s Ambassador to the United Nations Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser is tipped to become the president of the 192 member UN General Assembly next year after getting the endorsement of 53-member Asian group. The Asian group is also expected to endorse a second term for the incumbent UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon later in the year. Although Ban has not sought the support of the member states so far but has not made his ambition a secret either. Diplomatic sources here disclosed that in a secret straw poll the Asian group, one of the largest groups in the world body, had already picked the ambassador of Qatar over Kul Gautam of Nepal, a former deputy executive director of Unicef. Ambassador al-Nasser will succeed Joseph Deiss of Switzerland when the 66th session of the General Assembly opens in September.