New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the appointment of Belgium's Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy as first president of the European Union and Catherine Ashton as the EU's top diplomat. Ban said he looks forward to working closely with both van Rompuy and Ashton in "strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations."
Ashton was elected EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
"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," Ban said.
