BAGHDAD, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iraq has been elected to chair the Group of 77 (G77) and China at the United Nations in 2025, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced Saturday.
The chairmanship decision, the first of its kind for Iraq in 60 years, was adopted unanimously at a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Group at the UN headquarters in New York that discussed Iraq's nomination for the position, the ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, Abbas Kadhom Obaid, the charge d'affaires of Iraq's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, said in the meeting that as chair of the G77 and China, Iraq will support "developing countries' goals in economic, technological, and social development."
Iraq is committed to the basic principles of the G77 and China, and will work to ensure the success of its chairmanship, Obaid was quoted by the ministry as saying.
Established in 1964, the G77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the UN, according to its official website. Its name is derived from 77 founding members, including Iraq, but its membership has grown significantly to 134. ■
