A Bulgarian diplomat has been elected the first woman to head the United Nations agency for culture and education, UNESCO. Irina Bokova won the fifth and final round of voting on Tuesday, beating out Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni.

Irina Bokova: “Of course I am very happy with the end of these elections. I feel a lot of responsibility with the decision of the executive board to recommend my candidacy to the general conference. First, my respect and my friendship to Mr. Farouk Hosni, the Minister of Culture of Egypt, and to all the other candidates during these elections.”

Hosni’s candidacy had come under opposition from an unlikely pairing of right-wing pro-Israeli government groups as well as pro-democracy Egyptian activists. Supporters of the Israeli government denounced Hosni for once vowing to burn Israeli books, while Egyptian activists accused him of complicity in government censorship and spying. Hosni has retracted his comments on burning Israeli books, saying they reflected his anger at Israeli treatment of Palestinians.