The Republic of Croatia was elected in the third round of voting by the UN General Assembly with 184 votes for a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the term 2008/2009. Previously, the Czech Republic, as the only opposing candidate to Croatia, withdrew its candidacy after losing in the first two rounds of voting.
In the first round, Croatia received four votes (95-91), and in the second, 18 votes more than the Czech Republic (106-88). Croatian Foreign Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarović thanked the UN General Assembly members in a brief address "for their support and to the Czech Republic for enabling Croatia to enter the Security Council for the first time by withdrawing its candidacy."
Costa Rica will be elected as the non-permanent member of the SC from Latin America in the third round of voting, as the Dominican Republic also withdrew its candidacy after losing in the first two rounds. (H)
