17 November 2016, 12:26 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Guterres, who is Portugal's former prime minister, is set to assume office on January 1, 2017. The UN secretary-general-designate has served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for some ten years.
"He [Guterres] has not changed the team yet, but he is yet to do this. I think, he will not rush [into the decision on change], but [he] will change the team within half a year," Churkin told reporters ahead of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Guterres.
Churkin added that he does not expect UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to be replaced.
The UN General Assembly on October 13 appointed by acclamation the former Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Guterres, as the next United Nations Secretary-General, to succeed Ban Ki-moon when he steps down on December 31. During the UN election, Guterres got unanimous support from all UN Security Council members.
