Jan Eliasson: Swedish and World Citizen

Summary

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[Jan Eliasson] was nominated President of the United Nations General Assembly in November 2004 and formally and unanimously elected on June 13. The assignment commences with the U.N.'s 60th session on Sept. 1, 2005, and extends for one year. Eliasson's previous international posts include State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to the U.N. He also served as Under Secretary General at the U.N., with responsibility for disaster relief and humanitarian affairs. (See "Memories -- and Lessons from Somalia" for more on Eliasson's time there.)

"To be elected America's Swede of the Year is to me a great honor after the last five years in Washington," Eliasson says. "And yet, [these years] have been my and my wife, Kerstin's, most rewarding during our entire professional lives...At this point in time and with this new assignment, I feel more like a `world citizen' than ever before."

We are talking on route to a meeting with Ambassador Eliasson's top contact in the U.S. cabinet, General Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State. As we pass through the inner sanctums of U.S. government on our way to Powell's office in Old Town Alexandria, Eliasson reflects on the dramatic key events of his time in Washington: the Swedish EU presidency, the terrible events of 9-11, and the planning and groundbreaking of the House of Sweden, the Embassy's new chancery building.

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Extract

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Jan Eliasson: Swedish and World Citizen

Eliasson was nominated President of the United Nations General Assembly in November 2004 and formally and unanimously elected on June 13. The assignment commences with the U.N.'s 60th session on Sept. 1, 2005, and extends for one year. Eliasson's previous international posts include State Secretary for Foreign A...

See the full content of this document

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