Belgian PM appointed as first EU President

United nations, Nov 21, 2009 - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the appointment of the EU's first president as a move to strengthen Europe's efforts to bolster "peace, security, human rights and sustainable development." On Thursday, the 27-member European Union appointed Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to become its first full-time president and Catherine Ashton to be high representative for foreign policy.

"The secretary-general looks forward to working closely with both Mr Van Rompuy and Ms Ashton in strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations," a UN statement said.

Both appointments will begin in December, when the Lisbon Treaty comes into effect.

"With the Lisbon Treaty soon entering into force, the secretary-general hopes that the process of EU integration, which has already brought peace, security and prosperity to the continent, will further strengthen the European Union's support for global efforts in the areas of peace, security, human rights and sustainable development," the statement said. -AFP