Photo credit: the Express Tribune
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the world needs peace in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.
Reuters reports that he preached the gospel of peace on Thursday while addressing BRICS leaders at their summit in the Russian city of Kazan. Participants at the summit included Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said, “We need peace in Ukraine. A just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law, and UN General Assembly resolutions.”
His office later stated that he had met Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting and restated his call for peace in line with his address. The statement said Guterres emphasised his position that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine was “in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.”
The statement also reported that freedom of navigation in the Black Sea was “of paramount importance” for Russia and Ukraine and overall food and energy security.
The two men also discussed the “absolute need for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the need to avoid a further regional escalation.”
