Bolton gets to work; says he's glad to be at UN

Bolton gets to work; says he's glad to be at UN

By Evelyn Leopold
Tue Aug 2, 7:09 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - John Bolton presented his credentials as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday and immediately paid visits to U.N. ambassadors to discuss reform of the world body and test the waters on Iran's nuclear policy, envoys said.

Bolton, who arrived in New York on Monday and conferred briefly with Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday, visited the U.N. missions of China, Japan, Algeria and Britain, among other nations with seats on the 15-member U.N. Security Council.

"Warm" and "friendly" and "frank," were some of the comments from envoys after his visit.

Bolton, 56, the former State Department undersecretary for arms control, raised possible Security Council action on Iran's announcement that it plans to resume enriching uranium, said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But no details were given and it is not clear how much support there is in the 15-member body for any kind of rebuke or sanctions.

Bolton also exchanged views with some ambassadors on Annan's ambitious reform program, which 170 world leaders will endorse in one form or another at a U.N. summit in mid-September.

U.N. General Assembly members are spending most of August negotiating a text on security, human rights, development and U.N. management reforms. And they face a contentious bid for permanent Security Council seats by Japan, Germany, Brazil and India, which the U.S. opposes.

Anne Patterson, the deputy U.S. ambassador, told the General Assembly on Tuesday the document was too long and did not address American priorities.

She particularly criticized the section of development, saying it did not "adequately reflect the necessary partnership between the developing world, which must put into place the institutions that allow it to use aid effectively, and the developed world."

Bolton did not speak to reporters but told Annan at a photo-taking session, "Good to see you. I'm glad to be here."

No U.N. envoy can ignore a chief American representative but several diplomats reminded reporters that give and take was essential to the diplomatic game. Bolton has a reputation as a skilled sparring partner, who once called the United Nations irrelevant.

"Mr. Bolton has his views on the United Nations," Algerian U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Baali told reporters before meeting Bolton.

"We only hope that when he comes here and works with us he will realize -- I am sure he already does -- that the United Nations is an irreplaceable forum and that we have to work together to make our world safer and more prosperous," Baali said.

Brazil's U.N. ambassador, Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg, also a Security Council member, struck a similar note.

"There is a tradition here to work together. We hope and expect that this tradition will be maintained," he said.

Bolton, opposed by Democratic senators for five months, was installed by President Bush in a so-called recess appointment that allows him to make such appointments when Congress is not in session. He can serve until January 2007, when a new Congress is sworn in.

Hours after the appointment on Monday Bolton was in New York to meet staff at the U.S. mission to the United Nations.

Bolton is no stranger to the United Nations, having served as an assistant secretary of state for international organizations under President George H.W. Bush. He helped lobby Security Council members in 1990 to approve a war against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait.