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ROME, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The choice of former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres as nominee for next UN chief would be an "excellent" one, current UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday.
The UN Security Council on Thursday formally decided to recommend Guterres to head the United Nations for the next five years, starting from Jan. 1, 2017.
Ban made his remarks on the sideline of a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella here.
"I know Guterres very well, and I consider it (is) an excellent choice," Ban told reporters after the meeting.
"He has a large experience as Portuguese prime minister, and a wide knowledge of world affairs, which would serve him well in leading the UN in a crucial period," he added.
Guterres, 67, had been for long the chief of the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
Under the UN Charter, the UN Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. In practice, the Security Council, particularly its five permanent members, will make the final choice and send a single candidate to the General Assembly for approval.
Ban is going to conclude his term at the end of 2016.
