Kofi Annan for the remarks his Chief Assistant made regarding John Bolton's attempts to reform the UN.
"United Nations, Jun 8 (Prensa Latina) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has rejected a US demand that he apologize for recent remarks by his chief assistant, which caused irritation in Washington.
During a press briefing at UN headquarters, Annan recommended that instead those concerned “honestly and sincerely read” the speech given by UN Assistant Secretary General, British Mark Malloch Brown.
During a conference at a New York-based hotel Tuesday, the high-ranking diplomatic official said that the US was eroding the world body.
He also said Washington was using the UN as a foreign policy instrument, failing to defend the world body from critics.
In his meeting with the press, Annan commented that “the speech may have two or three points one could disagree with,” but the central idea is the fact that the UN needs help.
“This speech must be read simply and sincerely to capture its main message,” he added.
In a sour reaction to Malloch Brown’s speech, US Ambassador John Bolton termed it an extremely serious mistake and demanded Annan reject it and apologize as the only gesture to appease the wrath of Washington.
The UN Assistant Secretary General also did not recant what he had said, as his speech only included “sincere, constructive criticism” of US policy toward the UN."
