Former EP President Simone Veil has supported Irina Bokova to become the next UNESCO Director General in an interview for French newspaper ‘Liberacion' on Monday.

Veil said that Bokova, who is the Bulgarian Ambassador to France, is "the most prepared candidate because she is competent, diplomatic and very energetic."

Veil, who is president of honour of the Foundation for the Memory of Shoah, said the declarations made by Bokova's competition, Faruq Hosni, on books written in Hebrew and the Jews in general "arose many questions for me." He recently made different remarks but the content of these remarks changes every day."

Simone Veil is a French lawyer and politician who served as French Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of the European Parliament and member of the Constitutional Council of France.

Veil is a survivor from the Auschwitz concentration camp where she lost part of her family.

Bokova is set to face off with controversial Egyptian candidate Faruq Hosni later on Tuesday in a final round of voting.

In a secret fourth ballot held late Monday Bokova is reported to have received exactly the same number of votes as Hosni. The vote has been clouded by Hosni making alleged anti-Jewish comments.

The fifth and final vote is Tuesday. If the candidates are still tied then, the winner will be picked in a draw, UNESCO said.

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