UN Secretary-General Election: Guterres First, Lajčák Second, Jeremić Third

In the United Nations Security Council, the third round of voting for candidates for the new UN Secretary-General has concluded, after which Antonio Guterres, former Prime Minister of Portugal and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is in the lead, second is Miroslav Lajčák, head of Slovak diplomacy, and third is Vuk Jeremić from Serbia, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

Guterres received 11 positive votes, three negative, and one abstention, Lajčák nine positive, five negative, and one abstention, while Jeremić had seven positive, five negative, and three abstentions.

The election process now enters its most complex phase, in which the five permanent members of the Security Council begin intensive mutual negotiations in which the names of the most successful candidates will be considered. The fourth round of voting is expected to take place in September.