Bulgaria's Georgieva hints at bid to become UN chief

European Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday gave her clearest signal yet that she is ready to enter the race to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations.

Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist who is backed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said it was up to the Bulgarian government to decide on whether to nominate her as a candidate to succeed Ban Ki-moon.

"I'm very honored that many people are encouraging me to run," Georgieva said at an event organized by the International Peace Institute, a think tank that closely follows UN affairs.

"As a Bulgarian national, I would say that this is a decision for the Bulgarian government."

There are currently nine candidates in the race to become the next UN chief and the Security Council has already held four straw polls to gauge support for the contenders.

Portugal's former prime minister Antonio Guterres was the frontrunner in all four polls, but veto-wielding Russia has said the next UN chief should come from eastern Europe, the only region that has yet to be represented in the top post.

Council members are also facing calls to pick the first woman for the top job, after eight men.

Bulgaria already has a candidate in the race, UNESCO chief Irina Bokova, but her poor showing in the straw polls -- she came in fifth in the last round -- has cast doubt about the success of her bid.

A new straw poll will be held on Monday after which Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has said he may well switch candidates and put forward Georgieva instead.

"If after the 26th (Bokova) is not first or second, there will not be the means to pursue this and we will see together what to do," Borissov said earlier this month.

Georgieva, in New York during the UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders, dismissed reports that other eastern European countries could present her candidacy.

"I am not seeking or willing to be nominated by a different country, because this is my country, I love it. There is no way I would do anything that puts me at odds with being a Bulgarian," she said.

The 63-year-old economist who serves as the European Union's budget commissioner has long been tipped as a possible contender to be the first woman to lead the United Nations.

Speculation intensified after Merkel discussed her possible run with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit this month.