Activities of Secretary-General in Russian Federation, 1-3 June

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, from New York on Thursday, 1 June, to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Upon arrival, he participated in a panel discussion alongside Ivica Dačić, Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia; Erdenebat Jargaltulga, Prime Minister of Mongolia; and Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, Prime Minister of Gabon.  He stressed that inequalities are a threat to our global security, as are terrorism and climate change.  In that context, he reiterated his determination to reform the United Nations in order to improve its capacities in preventing and resolving conflicts.

The Secretary-General then held a bilateral meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.

On Friday, 2 June, the Secretary-General met in the morning with Acting Prime Minister Dačić of Serbia, and in the afternoon with Vladimir V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

In the margins of the Forum, the Secretary-General also spoke to reporters following the decision of the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, urging Governments around the world to stay the course and to remain committed to implementation of the Agreement.

The Secretary-General flew back to New York on Saturday, 3 June.