Activities of Secretary-General in Russian Federation, 11-14 May
On Tuesday, 11 May, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres travelled to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian Government.
On 12 May, he had a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, which was followed by a joint press encounter. In his remarks to the press, the Secretary‑General described the visit as an opportunity for in-depth discussions with the Russian leadership on how to further strengthen the close partnership between the United Nations and the Russian Federation in all areas of the United Nations’ work: peace and security; sustainable development including climate action; human rights; and the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, 13 May, the Secretary-General had a virtual meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin. They discussed a number of international and regional peace, security and humanitarian issues and the need to resolve conflicts through political dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.
They also talked about the importance of renewed commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and cooperation for the international community to address the unprecedented global challenges in the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
The Secretary-General expressed the interest of the United Nations to deepen its cooperation with the Russian Federation in the three pillars of the Organization’s work — peace and security, sustainable development, including climate change and biodiversity, and human rights.
Following this meeting, Mr. Guterres received an honorific doctorate from Moscow State Institute of International Relations. While there, he answered questions from students, including young participants of the Moscow Model UN.
That afternoon, the Secretary-General had a meeting with the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, Valentina Matviyenko. They discussed climate issues, gender and other topics.
On Friday morning, 14 May, the Secretary-General met Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for a discussion on a wide range of issues, including climate and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, during his visit to Moscow, the Secretary-General had an exchange on climate with Viacheslav Fetisov, hockey legend and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) National Goodwill Ambassador for Russia.
He departed the Russian Federation that day.