Lavrov meets UN chief candidate Bachelet in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Michelle Bachelet, a candidate for the UN Secretary-General position, in Moscow on Monday. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the meeting, which is part of Bachelet's diplomatic tour to garner support for her bid.

During their discussion, Bachelet emphasized the United Nations' need to "return to its principles" and acknowledged that the organization requires "modernization and reform." She stressed the importance of preserving applicable principles.

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La ONU debe “retornar a sus principios". "Debemos garantizar la preservación de aquellos principios que aún se aplican". Admitió que la organización necesita ser "modernizada y reformada".

Lavrov, in turn, underscored the necessity for the UN Secretary-General to be "neutral and independent." He stated, "In your presence, I would like to reaffirm our full support for the need for the secretary-general to be neutral, independent and committed to all parties under any circumstances, and not to limit himself to saying: 'Kosovo has the right to self-determination' or 'Crimea is Ukrainian territory.'"

Bachelet, a former president of Chile, has previously held significant roles within the UN, including High Commissioner for Human Rights and Director of UN Women. Last week, she met with the Chinese foreign minister in Beijing as part of her campaign.

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El secretario general de la ONU "debe ser neutral e independiente". "En su presencia, quisiera reafirmar nuestro pleno apoyo a la necesidad de que el secretario general sea neutral, independiente y comprometido con todas las partes en cualquier circunstancia, y no se limite a decir: 'Kosovo tiene derecho a la autodeterminación' o 'Crimea es territorio ucraniano'", concluyó el ministro ruso.