Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Nobuaki Tanaka will assume the post of United Nations undersecretary general for disarmament affairs, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday.
Aso said in a news conference that Tanaka's appointment will be announced Friday.
Succeeding Nobuyasu Abe, Tanaka will become the sixth Japanese undersecretary general of the world body.
Tanaka joined the Foreign Ministry in 1970 and has been ambassador to Pakistan since 2004.