Activities of Secretary-General in Russian Federation, 22-26 October
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, departed Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, shortly after midnight on 22 October. He arrived in Kazan, in the Russian Federation, early on Tuesday evening to attend the sixteenth BRICS Summit.
On Wednesday, the Secretary-General attended a welcome luncheon hosted by the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan. That afternoon, Mr. Guterres had the opportunity to visit the Kazan Kremlin, including the Annunciation Cathedral and the Kul Sharif Mosque. He also visited the Kazan Federal University Museum where, at the Astronomical Observatory, he spoke both with students who had participated in the Model UN, as well as students of the Academy of Youth Diplomacy.
That evening, he attended an official dinner for heads of delegations of BRICS States, invited countries and international organizations, hosted by the President of the Russian Federation on the occasion of the sixteenth BRICS Summit.
On Thursday, 24 October, the Secretary-General addressed the Summit. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that he saluted the valuable commitment and support for international problem-solving of the participants. He added that no single group and no single country can act alone or in isolation and that it takes a community of nations, working as one global family, to address global challenges.
He outlined the four areas where September’s Summit of the Future offered a road map for strengthening multilateralism: finance, climate, technology, and of course, peace. He underscored the need for peace in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine.
In relation to Ukraine, he reaffirmed his position and told the delegates that we need a just peace in Ukraine in line with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and General Assembly resolutions.
Everywhere, the Secretary-General added, we must uphold the values of the UN Charter, the rule of law, and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States. (See Press Release SG/SM/22420.)
On the sidelines of the session, the Secretary-General had a number of pull-aside conversations, including with the President of Türkiye, Recip Tayyip Erdoğan; the President of Egypt, Abdelfattah al-Sisi; the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas; and the Foreign Secretary of India, Vikram Misri, among others. He also had bilateral meetings with the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko.
On the margins of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, the Secretary-General met on Thursday night with Vladimir V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation.
The Secretary-General reiterated his position that the Russian Federation invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the UN Charter and international law. He further underlined United Nations support for peace, in line with the remarks he delivered at the BRICS Summit.
The Secretary-General expressed his belief that establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is of paramount importance for Ukraine, Russian Federation and for the world’s food and energy security. He fully supports the continuation of negotiations in this regard and expresses his deep appreciation for the work being done by Türkiye.
The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the situation in the Middle East, in particular the absolute need for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the need to avoid a further regional escalation. The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the questions of development and the international financial system.
The Secretary-General arrived back in New York on Saturday, 26 October.