PRESIDENT CLINTON has promised the new UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, that his upcoming Budget will include a plc to repay the arrears owed by the United States to the international body.
Mr Annan was on his first visit to Washington since he replaced Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali, who was vetoed for a second term by the then US ambassador to the UN, Mrs Madeleine Albright. He was accused of not doing enough to reform the UN bureaucracy and reduce costs.
The change in attitude by the US since the change at the top of the UN was apparent here yesterday as Mr Annan got VIP treatment. While Mr Annan was the nominee of the African countries, he was discreetly supported by the US as its favoured candidate.
Mr Annan was the first official visitor to meet President Clinton since his inauguration for a second term on Monday.
The meeting took place shortly after Mrs Albright (59) was sworn in at the White House as the first woman Secretary of State in US history.
Mrs Albright warned that the world leadership role of the US could crumble if it becomes complacent.
Mrs Albright, unanimously confirmed on Wednesday by the Senate, said she would begin her service as the replacement for Mr Warren Christopher "with the wind at my back".
The new UN Secretary General was Mrs Albright's first official visitor in her new post. She made it clear she wants the US to work closely with the UN.
Following his meeting with Mr Annan, the President said: "As long as the United Nations does its part, we should simply be prepared to pay our debts and pay our dues." He said that while there was a plan in his budget to repay more than $1 billion in arrears, he would be unable to secure Congressional support unless its members were convinced that the necessary UN reforms were going forward.
"I am determined to see that we pay our way, Mr Clinton said. "It's part of having a proper attitude towards our foreign policy operations in general."
Following his meeting with Mr Annan, he was "convinced" that the Secretary General has a chance genuinely to reform the UN for the 21st century. It was up to him to establish the "appropriate relations with Congress" but lie thought he would do this quite well, Mr Clinton said.
Earlier, the Vice President, Mr Al Gore, had told Mr Annan at a reception that the US would pay what it owes on condition that the Secretary General would work with US officials on "creating a United Nations that wastes less and produces more". We will do our part," Mr Gore told Mr Annan.
Later yesterday, Mr Annan went to Capitol Hill to meet Congressional leaders. His most important meeting was with the main critic of the UN, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jesse Helms.
Senator Helms had attended Mrs Albright's swearing in ceremony and spoke glowingly of her afterward. "This lady has convinced me that she is willing to sit down and negotiate," he said. "You can do business with her."