UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Baltic states, which include Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, on Friday formally presented Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga as a candidate for the next UN secretary-general.

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga was put forward as a candidate in a long-shot bid to succeed Kofi Annan as UN secretary-general. (File Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    In a letter to the president of the UN Security Council, the three countries noted that Vike-Freiberga, who is 69, has been head of state since 1999 and has gained extensive experience in global affairs in the meantime.

    "Coming from a relatively small country which has recently undergone the transition from totalitarian rule to freedom and democracy, the president highly values the role of multilateral diplomacy in preventing and minimizing threats to global peace, security and prosperity," they said.

    The Baltic states also noted that Vike-Freiberga "has proved the capacity of a woman to lead and inspire a nation," and said it "would be a tangible demonstration of the principle of gender equality, so tirelessly defended by the United Nations over the last 60 years" for her to be the UN chief.

    Vike-Freiberga is the sixth one vying to replace current UN chief Kofi Annan at the very beginning of next year. Meanwhile, she is the only candidate coming from a country outside Asia.

    All the other five candidates come from Asia, including South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon, Sri Lanka's presidential advisor Jayantha Dhanapala, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, Jordan's UN Ambassador Prince Zeid al-Hussein, and Indian Shashi Tharoor, the current UN undersecretary-general for public affairs.

    In the second secret "straw poll" held by the UN Security Council Thursday, Ban Ki-Moon took a obvious lead in the race. The council is scheduled to hold the third similar ballot around Sept.28 and expected to submit the final candidate to the General Assembly in October.

    Under UN Charter rules, the secretary-general is elected by the 192-member General Assembly under recommendation from the Security Council, with the five permanent members -- the United States, China, France, Britain and Russia -- having veto power on the issue.

    An unwritten rule says that due regard should be given to regional rotation in the selection of the UN chief. As the last and only Asian to hold the post was U Thant of Burma, whose term ended 35 years ago, it is widely expected that it is the Asian group's turn. Enditem