Guterres: Fayyad right choice as Libya envoy.

Dubai, 14 February 2017(Lana) U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he believed former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was the right person to be the world body's envoy to Libya after the United States raised objections. "It is a loss for the Libyan peace process and for the Libyan people that I am not able to appoint him," Guterres said at a summit in Dubai. "I do not think there is any valid reason to avoid someone who is very competent to do a job that is extremely important," he said, adding that ending the Libyan conflict was in "everybody's interest." Guterres dismissed the accusation that the United Nations is biased on Israeli-Palestinian issues and said the body's only loyalty was to its charter. "I do not think there is any valid reason to avoid someone who is very competent to do a job that is extremely important," he said, adding that ending the Libyan conflict was in "everybody's interest." "The U.N. needs to be able to act with impartiality in all circumstances and cannot be biased in favor of anybody," he said. Guterres said the United Nations would have to engage with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump as it would "with any other administration." "Let's do everything possible to make this relationship a constructive relationship," Guterres said. "Having said so, we need to respect our values and we need to make sure a multilateral approach to global problems is valued." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has expressed disappointment over Guterres's choice. =Lana=