Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed by phone the possibilities of the organization to solve humanitarian problems in Nagorno-Karabakh in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"Antonio Guterres welcomed Russia's role in reaching agreements on ending hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The interlocutors considered the possibilities of UN organizations to assist in solving humanitarian problems in the region in cooperation with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russian peacekeepers," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
During the conversation, the sides discussed a wide range of topical international issues, including the UN response to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the presentation of the Russian vaccine "Sputnik V" to members of the organization on December 2. In addition, the interlocutors exchanged views on the situation in Libya and Yemen, the Middle East settlement process, "as well as on the appointment to senior positions in the UN system secretariats".
"Both sides confirmed the importance of further strengthening the role and authority of the UN in the world arena, including in the context of this year's 75th anniversary of the world organization", the Russian diplomatic mission noted.
Earlier, official representative of the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric stated that the specialists of the organization were ready to work together with Russia to assess the amount of humanitarian aid needed in Nagorno-Karabakh. At a briefing on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry's official representative Maria Zakharova said that the UN Integrated Assessment Mission was preparing to go to the region.
On November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint statement on the complete cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The document envisages the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the region. On November 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on creating an interdepartmental humanitarian response center for Nagorno Karabakh.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS