John Bolton welcomed as US ambassador during UN reform – Annan

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today that he looked forward to working with John Bolton, appointed today by President Bush as United States Ambassador to the United Nations. "We will welcome him at a time when we are in the midst of major reform," he told reporters.

"I do know Ambassador Bolton and I've had dealings with him in the past. He's very able and he's very bright," Mr. Annan added in response to questions, recalling Mr. Bolton's work assisting James Baker, the Secretary-General's former Special Envoy for Western Sahara.

Stressing that the coming months were important for the process of UN reform and for relations between the organization and the United States, he said "I've always maintained that the US needs the UN and the UN needs the US. And we have to work together."

In response to press queries about the controversial choice, the Secretary-General said the appointment had been the President's prerogative. If an ambassador comes to the UN with a spirit of give and take, and of listening to others, then that ambassador will succeed, he added