Ugandan FM elected UN General Assembly president

Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa was elected president of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, media reported Thursday.

Kutesa was chosen unanimously Wednesday by the African Union as the only candidate for the presidency of the 69th session, Xinhua reported.

The president-elect will assume office at the start of the 69th session in September, replacing John William Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, who now leads the current plenary session of the 193 UN member states.

Kutesa, 65, is a Ugandan lawyer and politician. He is the current foreign minister in the Ugandan Cabinet, a position he has held since Jan 13, 2005. He was previously the minister of state for investment in Uganda.

Offering his congratulations, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Kutesa brings "wide-ranging experience" to the job, including of a lawyer, parliamentarian, finance minister and foreign minister.

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the UN. It is composed of representatives of all 193 member states, each of which has one vote.

The 69th session will commence Sept 16 and will be followed a week later by the General Debate, the largest annual meeting of world leaders and senior government officials.