United Nations, Sha'ban 27, 1433, Jul 17, 2012, SPA - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the appointment of a South African minister as chair of the African Union (AU) commission. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa’s home affairs minister, was elected to the post by the 54-country bloc on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, where the AU is headquartered. She is the first woman elected as AU chair. “The secretary-general welcomes the election of Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa as chairperson of the African Union Commission,” Ban’s office said in a statement. “He commends the African leaders for their decision and congratulates Dr. Zuma for the confidence they have placed in her as the first African woman to be elected to lead the Commission.” “The secretary-general looks forward to working closely with Dr. Zuma on peace and security issues, as well as on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and promoting sustainable development in Africa,” the statement said. “The secretary-general assures her of the full support of the U.N. system.” Newly appointed U.N. Deputy Secretary-General U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson spoke to the AU summit in Addis Ababa on Sunday and said strong coordination between both bodies would make each organization better. “This will in turn strengthen both our organizations, in our collective resolve, to discharge the responsibilities incumbent upon us all for the well-being of the people of this great continent and the world,” Eliasson said. --SPA 14:22 LOCAL TIME 11:22 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1016127