The President of the U.N. General Assembly has congratulated Barack Obama on being elected U.S. president and invited him to address the assembly. Miguel D'Escoto sent Obama a letter this week suggesting that he address the other 191 U.N. member states “at his convenience after assuming his new functions,” General Assembly spokesman Enrique Yeves told reporters on Friday. Obama takes over from President George W. Bush as U.S. leader on January 20. The U.S. president always addresses the General Assembly at its annual meeting in September but is not limited to then. Bush spoke on Thursday at an assembly meeting on dialogue between different religions. U.N. officials could not recall a case of a General Assembly president sending a similar letter to a newly elected leader and suggested D'Escoto wanted to show readiness to work with the new U.S. administration.
