According to AFP , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused a visit by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Ukraine, after Mr. Guterres attended the BRICS Summit in Russia.
World leaders gathered in Kazan, Russia, this week for the 16th BRICS Summit. The UN Secretary-General's spokesman said the meeting was "of great importance" to the work of the UN, as BRICS countries represent nearly half the world's population.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Photo: Reuters)
"It is customary for the Secretary-General to attend meetings of organisations with a large number of important member states, such as the G7 and G20," the spokesman said.
A senior source in the Ukrainian presidential administration revealed that the UN chief's trip to Russia caused outrage in Kiev.
"After Kazan, Mr. Guterres wanted to go to Ukraine, but President Zelensky did not confirm the visit. Therefore, the head of the United Nations is not here," the source said on condition of anonymity.
The 16th BRICS Summit was Secretary-General Guterres' first visit to Russia in more than two years. Mr. Guterres held a number of bilateral meetings with leaders attending the event.
On the evening of October 24, the final day of the conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of the United Nations held a closed-door meeting, believed to be aimed at resolving the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as questions related to global development and the international financial system.
Earlier the same day, Mr. Guterres delivered a speech at the Plenary Session of the BRICS Leaders' Meeting. The UN Secretary-General called for "just peace " in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticized Secretary-General Guterres' decision to visit Russia, recalling that he had missed the Ukrainian "peace conference" hosted by Switzerland this year.
“This is a wrong choice because it does not promote the goal of peace. It only damages the reputation of the United Nations,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ong-zelensky-khong-cho-tong-thu-ky-lien-hop-quoc-toi-ukraine-ar903940.html
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