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UN Secretary General has good chances of getting re-elected, Russian envoy says

The first five-year term of Antonio Guterres expires at the end of 2021

UNITED NATIONS, January 25. /TASS/. Current UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has good chances of being re-elected for the second term. This opinion was voiced by Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya in an exclusive interview with TASS.

"Of course, the current Secretary General has good chances of re-election, but all candidates presented will be considered. However, considering the fact that Guterres has performed well as the Secretary General, it is hard to say whether there will be many of those willing to compete with him," he noted.

"I haven’t heard any fundamental objections to his candidacy from anyone," the diplomat added.

The envoy noted that Guterres is greatly respected worldwide. "Despite the fact that not everyone agrees with him on everything, still, the majority of countries support his policy. So, without a doubt, he has a large support group," he explained.

In early January, Guterres announced in his letter to the General Assembly and the UN Security Council that he decided to offer his candidacy for the second term in office. The first five-year term of Guterres, 71, expires at the end of 2021.

The Secretary General is elected by the UN Security Council and is approved by the General Assembly, the term lasts for five years with a possibility of a re-election. There is no limitation on the number of terms, however, nobody occupied this post longer than 10 years.