Guatemala, Venezuela Withdraw From Race for UN Security Council Seat

危地马拉和委内瑞拉退出联合国安理会席位的竞争

Panama is expected to be formally endorsed as the consensus candidate for the open Latin American seat on the U.N. Security Council, breaking a two-week deadlock.

The Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries will meet Thursday and is expected to approve Panama's selection to represent the region, one day after Guatemala and Venezuela withdrew their competing bids for the seat.

Ecuador's U.N. ambassador, Diego Cordovez, announced the deal after meetings with the foreign ministers of both nations.

Panama's foreign ministry released a statement Wednesday saying it had not expected a seat on the Security Council, but would work to promote the U.N.'s "goals of peace and justice in the world."

The U.N. General Assembly must also approve Panama's selection for a two-year term on the council beginning January first. Peru holds the other elected Latin American seat on the 15-member council.

巴拿马预计将正式得到有关国家一致推选，成为拉丁美洲在联合国安理会空缺席位的候选国家，从而打破两个星期以来的僵局。

拉丁美洲和加勒比海国家组织星期四举行会议，预计将批准推选巴拿马作为该地区的代表国家。危地马拉和委内瑞拉一天前决定退出竞争。

厄瓜多尔驻联合国大使科多韦斯与危地马拉和委内瑞拉两国外长会晤后宣布了上述的决定。

巴拿马外长星期三发表声明说，虽然巴拿马原来并没有期待会获得安理会席位，不过将努力推动联合国的“世界和平与公正的目标”。

巴拿马在安理会的两年任期还必须得到联合国大会的批准，任期于明年1月1号开始。在拥有15个成员国的安理会中，秘鲁被推选获得代表拉丁美洲的另一个席位。