The Secretary-General held a virtual meeting with H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, during which he expressed his gratitude for the invitation to visit Moscow and reiterated his congratulations to the Russian Government and people as the country recently marked Victory Day.                                                    

The Secretary-General and President Putin discussed the importance of renewed commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and cooperation in order for the international community to address the unprecedented global challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. 
 
They discussed a number of international and regional peace, security and humanitarian issues and the need to resolve conflicts through political dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.

The Secretary-General thanked President Putin for the hospitality of the Russian Government and people, and for the continued commitment of the Russian Federation in support of the United Nations. The Secretary-General expressed the interest of the UN to deepen its cooperation with the Russian Federation in the three pillars of the Organization’s work – Peace and Security, Sustainable Development, including Climate Change and Biodiversity, and Human Rights.