UN chief congratulates Trump on election victory

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory, and commended Americans for participating in the electoral process.

"I commend the people of the United States of America for their active participation in the democratic process," Guterres said via statement.

Guterres also reaffirmed his "belief that the cooperation between the United States and the United Nations is an essential pillar of international relations."

"The United Nations stands ready to work constructively with the incoming administration to address the dramatic challenges our world is facing," it noted.

Trump defeated US Vice President Kamala Harris after winning 277 Electoral College votes in Tuesday's election, according to The Associated Press. He also led Harris by about 5 million votes in the popular count, getting around 71 million votes.

Trump and his running mate JD Vance will be sworn into office in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20.