New york: Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, reiterated during a telephone conversation Wednesday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the importance of the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to meet humanitarian needs on the global stage.

According to Qatar News Agency, Guterres further stressed the criticality of meeting the needs arising from emerging challenges, such as the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other territories.

Both sides discussed the critical operations being undertaken by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the process of selecting the next Executive Director of the WFP.