UN Deputy Spokesperson: Guterres's Trip to Russia for BRICS Summit is "Standard Practice"

UN Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Kazan, Russia, for an unannounced visit on the first day of a three-day BRICS  summit, on October 23.

Previously, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticized the idea of such a visit, stating that it does not contribute to the cause of peace and harms the reputation of the UN.

The Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, stated that António Guterres's trip to Russia for the BRICS leaders' meeting is "standard practice," and his position on the Russian war against Ukraine remains unchanged.

Haq made these remarks to reporters on Tuesday in response to a question from a Ukrinform correspondent in New York regarding what the UN Secretary-General hopes to convey to Russian leader Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Kazan.

"Let me address these two points—the part concerning his presence at the BRICS event and the part regarding his meeting with President Putin," said the Deputy Spokesperson.

He stated that "the Secretary-General is participating in the BRICS summit, as he did previously in South Africa, because this is standard practice for attending meetings of organizations with many important member states, such as the G7 and G20."

Haq added that "this meeting is significant for the UN's work with BRICS countries, which represent about half of the world's population," and the Secretary-General will take the opportunity to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders attending the summit.

"Regarding your question about the meeting with President Putin, the Secretary-General will reaffirm his well-known position on the war in Ukraine and the conditions for a just peace based on the UN Charter, international law, and UN resolutions," emphasized the Deputy Spokesperson.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet with Guterres on the last day of the BRICS summit, as announced to reporters by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. The BRICS summit will take place in Kazan from October 22 to 24.