US: UN secretary general Kofi Annan said yesterday he looked forward to working with new US ambassador John Bolton but warned him he would need to work in a spirit of give-and-take to succeed in the job.
President Bush gave Mr Bolton a temporary appointment as his ambassador to the United Nations - until January 2007 - when it became clear Senate confirmation was stalled by strong opposition from Democrats.
"From where I stand we will work with him as the representative of the president and of the government," Mr Annan said.
Mr Annan was asked if he was worried the abrasive Mr Bolton, who has been an outspoken critic of the United Nations, would try to shove reforms sought by Washington through a reluctant UN membership.
"I think it is all right for one ambassador to come and push, but an ambassador always has to remember that there are 190 others who will have to be convinced - or a vast majority of them - for action to take place," Mr Annan said.
"So if one comes with that spirit, that spirit of give-and-take, that spirit of listening to others, that spirit of working with them in a collaborative manner to seek something that is mutually acceptable, that ambassador will succeed."
The Bush administration has pushed hard for UN reforms and some Republican lawmakers sought Mr Annan's resignation after allegations of UN mismanagement of the $67 billion oil-for-food programme for Iraq and of sexual abuses by UN peacekeepers.
Mr Bolton's interim appointment fills a vacancy created by the departure of envoy John Danforth, a former senator, about six months ago.
Mr Annan said he knew Mr Bolton as able and bright from working with him in the past.
"It is important that we work together to achieve the major reforms that are on the table," the UN leader said, adding that the US-UN relationship "has strayed a little recently and we should be able to get it back on keel".
Meanwhile, even Republicans expressed dismay at the way President Bush chose to appoint Mr Bolton.
George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican who broke ranks to oppose Mr Bolton, said he was disappointed.
"I am truly concerned that a [ Senate] recess appointment will only add to John Bolton's baggage and his lack of credibility with the United Nations," he said.
"The president has done a real disservice to our nation by appointing an individual who lacks the credibility to further US interests at the United Nations," said Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat leader of opposition to the appointment.
"I will be monitoring his performance closely to ensure that he does not abuse his authority, as he has in the past."
Massachusetts Democratic senator Edward Kennedy called it an abuse of power.
"It's a devious manoeuvre that evades the constitutional requirement of Senate consent and only further darkens the cloud over Mr Bolton's credibility at the UN," he said.
However, Norm Ornstein, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said: "The idea that John Bolton will be hampered at the United Nations is wrong. What makes you a significant figure is whether you have the confidence of the president. As long as he does not go off the reservation, and continues to speak for him, he will have impact."
Although several analysts said the appointment could poison Mr Bush's relations with Democrats, party aides in the Senate said they did not expect frustration at the appointment to influence the confirmation of John Roberts, whom Mr Bush has nominated to the US Supreme Court.
Mr Ornstein warned that Mr Bush's aggressive move could come back to haunt him if any evidence does emerge that Mr Bolton abused his power at the State Department.
Mr Bolton's appointment will last until the end of the current congressional term, which could be as late as December 2006. - (Reuters, Financial Times service)