ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO RUSSIA, SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ADDRESSES STATE DUMA
Press Release
SG/T/2052
ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO RUSSIA, SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ADDRESSES STATE DUMA
19960515 MOSCOW, 15 May -- Continuing his official visit to Russia, Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali held wide-raging talks with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov today and addressed the State Duma (Lower House of parliament).The Secretary-General and Mr. Primakov reviewed the situations in Georgia and Tajikistan, and the conflict over Nagorny Karabakh. They also discussed a number of international problems including the Middle East, the former Yugoslavia and Burundi.
Mr. Primakov reaffirmed his country's commitment to the United Nations not only as the world Organization responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, but also as an instrument for preventive diplomacy and the promotion of economic and social cooperation.
The Secretary-General reviewed the reforms currently being carried out throughout the United Nations designed to increase its effectiveness. He expressed his gratitude for Russia's support for the United Nations, especially for having paid its dues to the regular budget in full.
In his address to the State Duma this afternoon, the Secretary-General underlined the importance of parliamentarians as new important actors in international affairs (for a text of the Secretary-General's speech, see Press Release SG/SM/5985.
Late in the afternoon,the Secretary-General met His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The Secretary-General began his day today by laying a wreath of flowers on the tomb of the unknown soldier.
Tomorrow the Secretary-General is scheduled to hold talks with President Boris Yeltsin and Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin.
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