United Nations, June 06: The UN General Assembly meets today to elect St. Lucia's Foreign Minister Julian Hunte as president of its 58th session, opening in September, diplomats said. Hunte will replace Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic, who has presided over the current 57th session since September 2002.
St. Lucia is a Caribbean Island whose economy depends heavily on tourism and banana exports. The 191-nation assembly agreed earlier this year to elect its president and principal committee heads three months in advance to give them extra time to organize the coming session. Hunte serves in the government of Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, a member of the St. Lucia Labour Party. Anthony was sworn in to a second five-year term in December 2001. Bureau Report