Today, the Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, underlining the need for further progress on implementation of the Minsk Agreement. They also discussed Germany’s priorities during its term as Chair-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The Secretary-General reiterated the UN’s commitment to strengthen effective, result-oriented cooperation between the two organizations.

Considering the exponential growth in crises around the world, the Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister underscored the importance of strengthening prevention capacities. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for Germany's financial support for UN mediation and conflict prevention.

The Secretary-General briefed the Foreign Minister about ongoing UN efforts aimed at resolving the political crisis in Burundi. They also talked about the situations in Syria and Yemen, agreeing on the urgency to reinvigorate political processes to solve both crises as well as to enhance humanitarian access immediately.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister assessed efforts to forge a collective response to the large movements of refugees and migrants towards Europe.