HQ/581

HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ELECTS SOTIRIOS ZACKHEOS (CYPRUS) AS CHAIRMAN

17 November 1997


Press Release
HQ/581


HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ELECTS SOTIRIOS ZACKHEOS (CYPRUS) AS CHAIRMAN

19971117 The Committee on Relations with the Host Country this afternoon elected Sotirios Zackheos, the new Permanent Representative of Cyprus, as its Chairman. Mr. Zackheos, who replaced Nicos Agathocleous, the former Permanent Representative of Cyprus, assured the Committee that he would do his utmost to help it consider issues before it "in a businesslike and constructive manner".

Also this afternoon, the Committee elected Christo Christov (Bulgaria) as the Chairman of its working group on indebtedness, succeeding Jorge Sanches (Spain). The Rapporteur of the Committee, Emilia Castro de Barish (Costa Rica), praised the election of Mr. Zackheos and Mr. Christov.

Russell Graham (United States), speaking for the host country, congratulated Mr. Zackheos on his election, and said the question of diplomatic parking would be a major issue in the coming year. He hoped the new Chairman would be able to help resolve the parking and other problems facing the Committee.

On the election of Mr. Christov as Chairman of the Committee's working group on indebtedness, Mr. Graham said the issues before the group, including the question of medical insurance, were very important. During the past three years, under the previous Chairmen of the working group, diplomatic indebtedness had decreased from $13 million to a little over $2 million.

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country was established by the General Assembly in 1971. It is currently composed of the following 15 States: Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, France, Honduras, Iraq, Mali, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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For information media. Not an official record.