UNITED NATIONS. Dec 31. Kofi Annan takes over as UN chief on Wednesday amid hopes •hat the Ghanian's appointing will bring improved relations with the world body s main contributor, the United States, reports AFP.

His predecessor. 74-year old Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, who was backed by France for a second term, saw UN relations deteriorate with Washington over the past two years.

For US public opinion. Boutros-Ghali became Identified with the UN failures in Somalia and Bosnia. Bui he also sinned in U.S eyes by taking an independent stand on Issues such as Iraq and the Middle East

Annan. 58. who said in a recent television interview that a friend had described his new post as 'a Job from hell." has made it clear that a main prior ity will be ensuring that Washington pays its arrears.

While keeping a steady hand on reform efforts during his five-year term, and refusing to rule out more staff cuts, the soft-spoken Annan also Intends to seek consensus on the role of the United Nations as the world body prepares to enter the next century.

As former undersecretary general for peacekeeping, he plans to develop UN readiness to readiness to intervene in crises before they become full-scale conflicts. His main focus will be on his own continent.

In his new Job. Annan will walk a tightrope as the servant of 185 nations in the General Assembly where some states are more equal than others — par-ticularlv the "big five" In the powerful UN Security Council.

Annan's relationship with the five states with veto power — Britain. China. France. Russia and the United States — will be

particularly crucial.

Washington vetoed Boutros-Ghali’s election to a second •erm. i . ।

Annan, described as an "honest broker" by diplomats who worked with him on Bosnia, stresses that he will preserve the independence of nls office. He notes that as a UN insider having spent his entire career in the UN system, his "tra< k record' is known to all.