World leaders and policy makers are gathering at UN headquarters for the 70th anniversary session of the General Assembly being held in New York to discuss a full spectrum of international affairs and outline goals for the next 15 years.
30 September 2015
The UK will continue to engage Islamic State targets for "as long as it takes", British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, told the United Nations, urging unity in order to "crush" the jihadists.
“We share a responsibility to act to end the bloody civil war and create an inclusive political process, and to work together to crush ISIL and banish its twisted ideology from the face of the earth.”
29 September 2015
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended a meeting with his counterparts from BRICS nations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Yemen's exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi blamed Iran for supporting the Houthi militia which are battling the Saudi-led coalition.
"We find ourselves mixed in this battle, this fight for the country and the legitimacy of the state to ensure that the country not fall into the hands of Iran, which would like to see the destruction of the country," Hadi told the General Assembly.
READ MORE: Yemeni wedding attack: ‘Houthis don’t have fighter jets!’
Despite massive devastation and numerous civilian casualties caused by Saudi coalition bombardment and troops on the ground, Hadi blamed the Houthis for the humanitarian crisis.
"You are aware of the human tragedy of our people, and this is due to the blockade imposed by the militias," he said.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia said that the world needs to find way to aid the healthcare system in Africa.
“Weak public health systems in individual countries threaten global health and well-being,” said Johnson-Sirleaf. “It is not beyond this body to find answers and respond, and we know that we must.”
Speaking about Ebola, the Liberian president thanked the world community for offering aid.
“As we ponder, in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, three countries worst-hit by the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, we bear witness to the foundational creed of the United Nations – that we can always find it within our humanity to respond even to unknown enemies to our collective progress,” she declared. “Accordingly, we remain grateful to all of you for the outpouring of support and assistance as we faced down the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, the greatest modern threat to global public health.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the UN's response to the civil war in Syria, as well as US-led invasions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, which he said had "destroyed" those countries.
"We have sought to make our voice heard," he said. "We have recognized the tragic mistakes that have been made in invading and bombing countries and peoples, brotherly peoples in the world. The four wars that have been waged destroyed important countries here."
"The strategic failure of these four wars relates to what is being done in the Security Council. The inability of the United Nations to act," he added.
Sierra Leone's President commended the UN for mobilizing a system of intervention to support countries affected by Ebola in West Africa.
“In addition to the containment of the epidemic, the intervention by the UN and our partners has resulted in enhancing our preparedness to respond to similar outbreaks in the future. This is a useful model that can be applied to contain and tackle pandemics wherever they may surface,” Ernest Bai Koroma said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini on sidelines of UNGA in New York.
Despite the immense efforts towards the prevention of conflicts by world community, peace and security remain fragile and vulnerable, Armenian leader Serge Sargsyan told the UN.
“Preservation of international peace and security is a key responsibility for all, and peacekeeping is a major conduit to achieve that objective. Today we still need to take additional collective measures for its further consolidation. It is obvious that a peaceful and safe world may be secured solely by comprehensive, joint and careful measures,” Sargsyan said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Tuesday.
During his address at UNGA, President Obama slammed strong states imposing will on weaker ones. Who did he have in mind? People in the streets of NYC are trying to make it out:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in New York City, Tuesday to discuss the Syria conflict, the Ukraine crisis and the threat of the Islamic State.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the United Nations General Assembly that his country would devote funds amounting to $1.56 billion to humanitarian aims including $810 million aid to internally displaced people from Syria and Iraq and $750 million assistance for peace building efforts across the Middle East and Africa.
According to Abe, Japan will also spend $2 million to lend assistance to Lebanon and $2.5 million more for the helping the EU neighboring countries facing an inflow of refugees, such as Serbia or the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
"I wish to look squarely at the fact that behind the refugees we find a much larger number of people who are unable even to flee and become refugees," Abe said.
European Council president Donald Tusk addresses UN General Assembly
Europe must better manage the migrant crisis, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told the UN General Assembly as he called on nations to intensify diplomatic efforts to solve the Syrian crisis.
"The problem of migration is not a problem due to organization or numbers," Renzi said. "The problem is fear...I see today walls going up, and I see it as something intolerable...Europe was born to tear down walls, not to build them."
At the same time, Renzi said that the Islamic State extremist group as a "very dangerous enemy" and called for unity in the fight against terrorism.
"The battle we're fighting today is against darkness and fear, because fear is the playground of terrorism," he said.
Petro Poroshenko addressed UN General Assembly
President of Uruguay, Tabare Vazquez told the UNGA that the EU must tackle the challenges of immigration stemming from global conflicts.
"The migration crisis in Europe requires a comprehensive resolution and global solidarity,” Vazquez told the world leaders.
Recalling the tragedy of a three year-old Syrian toddler washed ashore in Turkey earlier this month he said, "It is imperative to avoid a repeat of this tragedy and we must address the causes that led to it.”
According to the Uruguayan leader, one of the challenges today is to "reject any form of terrorism and discrimination wherever they come from."
King Mswati III of Swaziland praised the UN's effort in helping to eradicate poverty in Africa, as he urged other nations to commit to investment on the continent.
“Africa has a great potential for investment,” King Mswati III declared. “What remains is creating the requisite environment for economic growth. We strongly believe that the structures of the UN can provide a peaceful global village that is free of fear and violence.”
Kuwait's Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah highlighted the “serious challenges” facing Yemen, Syria, Libya and Iraq, as he urged the world leaders to promote peace rather than war to battle terrorism.
“The brutal crimes committed by the so called ‘Da’esh [Islamic State ], spreading death and destruction, particularly in Iraq and Syria, constitute a threat to international peace and security,” he added.
Al Sabah also stressed Kuwait’s rejection of all forms of terrorism and the importance of a “universal strategy to combat terrorism, which aims to achieve international peace and security.”
Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj told delegates that unity and decisive leadership must go hand in hand in order for the UN to fulfill its core missions.
“The only way to bring peace and stability is through a system of [norms], laws and institutions that every country agrees to abide by. If the UN fails to adopt [such a system], we all fail,” said President Elbegdorj. “When we face global challenges, we must admit one thing: no one country – big or small – can address them on its own. Therefore, the coordinated actions of all players and countries are needed,” he added.
Taking to the podium at the General Assembly Finnish President Sauli Niinisto urged Europeans to unite to solve an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis,” stemming from wars that generate the influx of refugees to the EU.
The influx of thousands of asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East has led to an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe unlike any since the Second World War,” he said, as Finland agreed to take in 3,190 refugees as part of an EU quota.
To help solve the crisis, Finland will set a good example, urging listeners to “show that we do care,” Niinisto said.
Speaking from the podium at the United Nations General Assembly, Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan stressed the need to fight terrorism.
“Destructive and inhumane forces of terrorism and extremism have been gaining in power involving in their orbit the ever-increasing number of young people,” said the President. “It is in our common interests that Member States implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, and effectively combat any forms and manifestations of terrorism, including the use of the internet for terrorist purposes.”
The UN remains instrumental in reducing conflicts on the African continent Hage G. Geingob, the Namibian President, told UNGA.
“Namibia is a child of international solidarity, midwifed by the United Nations,” Geingob said. “After the termination of South Africa’s mandate over then-South West Africa, the United Nations assumed direct responsibility over Namibia.”
“We are in the process of establishing a new Africa, with its own narrative as told by its sons and daughters,” the president continued. “Africa has turned [over] a new leaf, bidding farewell to the days of coup d’etats and embracing electoral democracy. We as Africans, through the African Union, have ostracized those who come to office through unlawful ways.”
The President of Guyana called on UN to protect small states from foreign aggression, as he delivered his speech at the UNGA.
In his remarks, David Arthur Granger focused on territorial disputes with Guyana's neighbor, Venezuela. The current border between the two states was established in 1899, but Venezuela has disputed the line for more than a half century since and has laid claim to about 40 percent of Guyana's territory, which is rich in gold, bauxite, diamonds and other natural resources.
Venezuela is unsettling a settled border, he said. “It is destabilizing a stable region of the globe by the use of armed force against a peaceful, small state. Venezuela has retarded Guyana's development by threats that are intended to force a small state to yield its birthright,” Granger said.
The President of Rwanda told the General Assembly to pledge commitment to its Global Goals and acknowledge that all countries must work together to meet new targets.
“Our task is to settle the future not the past. Change is coming and it is necessary. No one can manage it alone. And the Global Goals rightly recognize our mutual interdependence,” said Paul Kagame in his address, as he stressed that the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must now be wholly kept.
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko said the the entire world system is suffering from crisis as he addressed delegates at UNGA.
“A loss of mutual trust between global players, unwillingness to compromise and partial return to the ‘bloc-type’ confrontation have essentially put the world on the verge of a new war,” he told the General Assembly.
“Efforts to impose upon other countries a certain development[al] model continue unabated,” he said, adding that foreign intervention and regime changes have created chaos and anarchy in states that were once stable.
Taking to the stage in New York at UNGA, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe blamed foreign interference in domestic affairs for triggering the refugee crisis in the EU.
The "harrowing scenes of desperate refugees" seeking safety have been caused by the "destabilizing policies of external forces,” Mugabe said. “This tragic situation could have been avoided through respect [for the] independence of other countries and non-interference in their internal affairs.”
The president also denounced the "illegal" sanctions imposed on his country by the EU and US, as he urged for their immediate removal.
"We have peace in Zimbabwe just now. We don't want war. We don't want interference. We don't want to hear of regime change at all," he stressed.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has reminded UNGA that his country is at the “forefront” of the fight against "terrorism.”
Arguing that there is "no alternative" than to unite in the fight against "extremism," Sisi also endorsed an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“The question of Palestine is a just cause. Resolving this conflict and empowering the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to an independent state, within the borders of the fourth of June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Sisi said.
Speaking after a 90-minute-long meeting with US President Barack Obama, the Russian leader said that the talks had been productive and surprisingly frank, despite relations between Moscow and Washington being “at a rather low level.”
While Russia is “always ready to develop and restore” relations between the two countries, the US made the decision to damage them in the first place, Putin said.
28 September 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Putin said that the Russian government is "supremely satisfied" with its cooperation with Iran.
“As for our cooperation, we are supremely satisfied with it in the international arena, in the fight against terrorism, in the security sphere and in various matters – from the working process on peaceful [nuclear energy program]...to other big projects that we have recently discussed,” Putin stated.
Russia and Iran are working closely together on the development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, as well as actively cooperating in the fight against international “terrorism.”
Speaking at UNGA, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari pledged to fight terrorism, as Boko Haram continues to terrorize Nigeria.
"We are on the frontline on the war on terror," Buhari said. "Boko Haram's war on the people of Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon may not attract as much attention, but the suffering is just as great and the human cost is just as high."
Cuban President Raul Castro has used his General Assembly speech to urge Washington to end its trade embargo against Cuba.
Relations will be normalized only “with the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba,” Castro said, as he called on the US to return the “illegally occupied” Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
The Cuban leader also called for the “cessation of radio and TV broadcasts, and of subversion and destabilization programs against the island.”
Castro received sustained applause as he criticized the “militarization of cyberspace and the covert and illegal use of information and communications technologies to attack other states.”
The leaders of Russia and the United States are holding a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
8,000 Chinese troops will join United Nations peacekeeping force, President Xi Jinping told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. That could make Beijing one of the top players in UN peacekeeping efforts.
“China will join the new UN peacekeeping capability readiness system, and has thus decided to take the lead in setting up a permanent peacekeeping police squad,” Xi said.
Watch the full UNGA speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping:
Watch Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s UNGA speech in full:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Monday, to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria on the sidelines of 70th United Nations General Assembly.
Protesters turned out to rally against Russian President Vladimir Putin in New York on Monday ahead of his address at the UN General Assembly. The anti-Putin demonstrations began on Sunday and involved mostly American, Ukrainian and LGBT rights activists.
France will discuss with its partners a proposal by Turkey and Syrian opposition to create a no-fly zone in northern Syria, French President Francois Hollande said on Monday.
"(French Foreign Minister) Laurent Fabius in the coming days will look at what the demarcation would be, how this zone could be secured and what our partners think," he told reporters on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has hosted state luncheon for the heads of delegation to the 70th Session of the General Assembly.
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly, South African President Jacob Zuma called on participant nations to reform the UN Security Council to resolve conflicts surrounding Middle East and African nations and involve more regional entities.
“It is unacceptable and unjustifiable that more than one billion people in the African continent are still excluded as permanent members of the key decision making structure of the United Nations, the Security Council. A continent with a smaller population than Africa is represented by three countries on the UN Security Council,” said President Zuma addressing the 70th General Debate.
He also urged for an immediate solution to Israel-Palestine conflict.
“There can be no peace, security and development in the Middle East without the resolution of the Palestinian question. A solution is urgent, otherwise if we delay, in the next decade, we may no longer have a piece of land to justify the two-state solution,” he said his address.
Rouhani says that Iran is eager to stick to its plan of freeing the Middle East from nuclear arms, and that Israel cannot be an obstacle to that.
Speaking on behalf of the “great nation,” he condemned UN Security Council policies regarding Iran, describing sanctions as “illusive” and “illegal”.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has claimed the floor. He starts with honoring the loss of hundreds of Iranians during this year's tragic crush at the hajj pilgrimage.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff gave an address at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Monday. Rousseff discussed a range of issues including the refugee crisis, the rise of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL) and the Iran nuclear deal.
President Vladimir Putin said that no one should manipulate words as every term in international law should be clear and transparent and have uniformly understood criteria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken the stage at the Un General Assembly. He started his speech by addressing the UN history and saying that the decision to establish Un was taken in Russia’s Yalta, at the anti-Hitler coalition meeting.
Obama's full speech to the UN General Assembly.
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There should be a holistic approach to addressing all security threats and the UN Security Council should be instrumental in this, Chinese President Xi Jinping said addressing the UNGA session. We should abandon Cold War mentality in all manifestations and prevent conflicts from happening in the first place, he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged to build partnerships where everyone is “treated as equals,” big and strong countries do not ‘bully the small, weak and poor.’ The international community should create security architecture with joint contribution and shared benefits, he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping took the floor at the UNGA starting his speech a remark about China’s peace contribution during WWII. He urged the UN to address issues how to better promote peace.
During his speech, President Barack Obama has called for a “managed transition” in Syria away from President Bashar Assad.
Coalition in Libya could have and should have done more to fill vacuum left behind there, President Barack Obama said adressing the world leaders at the UNGA session.
“Where order has completely broken down we must act but we will be stronger when we act together. In such efforts the US will always do our part, mindful of the past, not just the lessons of Iraq but of Libya.”
Washington will aid “any legitimate Libyan government," however the international community has to do more to build capacity “before states collapse," he said.
The use of sanctions against Russia was not reflective of desire to return to the Cold War, President Barack Obama noted.
Washington is prepared to coordinate efforts with Russia and Iran in dealing with the crisis in Syria, President Barack Obama told the UNGA session.
"The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict," he said. “But we must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a return to the pre-war status quo."
"There is no room for accommodating an apocalyptic cult like ISIL (Islamic State militants, IS, former ISIS) and the US makes no apology for using our military as part of a broad coalition to go after it," he said.
Obama says the US learned a hard lesson in Iraq - that even 100,000 troops, trillions from the treasury, cannot by itself impose stability on a foreign land.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has just arrived in New York to address the UN and meet for talks with President Barack Obama on the Syrian crisis later today.
Brazil is ready to accept asylum seekers, which won’t be a problem since it is a multinational country, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff told the UN.
She has also spoken of the need to increase the number of members of the UN Security Council, both permanent and temporary.
US Senator John McCain has cast doubt upon the importance of the one-on-one meeting between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama scheduled to take place later in the day.
“President Obama's decision to meet with Vladimir Putin is as misguided as it is unnecessary,” McCain wrote on his website.
“The White House has said that it wants to de-conflict US and Russian military operations in Syria. Any number of our military commanders could do that. It does not require a head-of-state meeting.”
Opening the United Nations assembly on Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on countries to take active measures to tackle the refugees crisis. He urged the UN Security Council and key regional actors to “step forward” and help end the crisis in war-torn Syria.
Vladimir Putin is expected to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Cuban President Raul Castro on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York on Monday.
The UN should remain “the hard-rock foundation” for dealing with the problems currently “plaguing” the world, Victor Gao, Director of the China National Association of International Studies, told RT.
“If you look at many huge problems plaguing many parts of the world, including the refugee problem in Europe, this is partially because of unauthorized military actions by certain countries in the world, either without any approval or by stretching the area of approval by the United Nations,” Gao said. “All these dangerous signs in the world today should serve as alarms to the international community.”
The US risks finding itself at a “huge disadvantage geopolitically” if it continues to treat both Russia and China as hostile countries.
The US to needs to improve its relations with Russia and China if “greater stability” in the world is to be achieved, he said.
“In order to have a greater peace and stability in the world, the US needs to improve its relations with China. The US needs to improve its relations with Russia. Only in that way major powers in the world will feel less tension between themselves and will be able to dedicate themselves to resolving other burning issues,” Gao said.
Spectators across the globe will be watching as world leaders take to the iconic green marble hall at UN headquarters in New York to address the world at the 70th UN General Assembly. RT’s Neil Harvey will take you on a 3D tour of the famous site on Manhattan’s Turtle Bay.
READ MORE: City within a city: How UN headquarters in NY was built (3D VIDEO)
The United Nations’ world-famous green General Assembly hall in New York has seen a lot in its 63-year history. RT’s Anissa Naouai decided to have a look at the halls of the famous building, which saw a major renovation completed just last year.
READ MORE: UN flashbacks: RT takes a look at historic United Nations HQ (VIDEO)
France launched its airstrikes on Syria without coordinating with Damascus, Bashar Jaafari, Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, told TASS.
“French President [Francois Hollande] hasn’t coordinated these actions [airstrikes] with Syrian President [Bashar Assad]. French troops acted without agreement of Syrian army.”
He added that it is important to work with the legitimate Syrian government and army to battle terrorism.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is cutting his New York visit short in order to return to Tehran in time for Monday’s funeral for Iranians killed during the Hajj stampede, which killed over 700 people outside of the holy Muslim city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
“Some of his meetings and scheduled programs will be canceled and he is returning [to Tehran] on Monday afternoon,” Iran’s state news agency IRNA cited Rouhani’s senior official as saying.
Rouhani was scheduled to address the 193-nation assembly on Monday morning, as well as attend a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev called for the creation of a supranational currency during his speech at UNGA.
“The UN Member States need to combine their efforts to create a new supranational currency, which should be relevant to the targets and tasks of global sustainable development and prosperity,” he said at the UNGA.
Despite the Kazakh president stressing that there is no alternative to the United Nations, he also suggested moving the UN Headquarters from New York to Asia.
27 September 2015
Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, said that Russia “is ready to fight terrorism,” adding that if Islamic State militants are to be defeated in Syria, President Bashar Assad’s government “can’t be weakened.”
RT’s Ilya Petrenko has arrived in New York to see how the city police officers and guards are handling security during UN General Assembly.
Defeating extremists in Syria “is not feasible through air operations alone,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, adding that removing Syrian President Bashar Assad from power would make Syria a safe haven for terror groups.
Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin left the UN General Assembly hall with part of the Russian delegation during a “politicized and aggressive speech” delivered by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, sources told Russian media. “We left the meeting hall in protest against his openly politicized and aggressive speech which had nothing to do with the summit’s topic,” a diplomat told TASS.
When asked why the rest of the delegation had stayed behind, the source revealed that “the Russian side is in the habit of heeding its opponents and not ignoring their words.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was scheduled to speak next. He remained in the waiting room until it was his turn to take the podium, another diplomat explained to RIA Novosti.
President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft criticized the lack of progress in the UN when it comes to helping refugees in conflict zones, pointing to the devastating situation in Yemen as an example.
“We had this serious crisis where some of the UN relief programs for refugees have only been financed half or third or even less. We have millions of refugees … and the UN should really appeal to all parties to negotiate instead of fighting war because it is the civilian population in Yemen that is suffering the most,” Lykketoft told RT.
Dozens of protesters have gathered outside United Nations Headquarters in New York to protest against Russia’s president. Vladimir Putin is expected to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.
It is not legal to rescind the veto power of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council, President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft told RT.
“You cannot strip the constituent five members of their veto power in the Security Council, that is a part of the Constitution of the UN,” he said.
President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft praised the recent nuclear deal with Iran and called on the Security Council to continue working to find common ground to stop the violence in Syria.
“We have had the progress on the nuclear deal with Iran. The five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany stood together negotiating the deal with Iran. And that was a step forward in avoiding proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” Lykketoft told RT. “I hope the leaders will be able to build on that. Also to find the common ground to stop the terrible bloodshed in Syria and the humanitarian crisis both inside Syria and around in neighboring countries.”
President of the UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, told RT that the UN Security Council has failed to fulfill its responsibility to stop conflicts around the world.
“The Security Council, which is the body which has to do with specific conflicts and avoid them, has not lived up to its obligations. It is a problem,” Lykketoft said.
“We are in this paradoxical situation. On the one side we take very far-reaching decisions, which is a necessary and positive global development. On the other side, we have ongoing conflicts, great humanitarian crises around the conflict zones in the Middle East and in Africa, where the UN has not been equipped, has not been allowed to go in and stop the sufferings and war.”
Vladimir Putin’s upcoming speech at UNGA is expected to provide an “alternative and constructive vision,” Russian diplomat Konstantin Kosachev told RT. “I am sure that the existing differences and misinterpretations about the crisis in Ukraine will not disturb the coming discussion,” he said, adding that the discussion will touch upon issues “with global character.”
Among such issues are “combating international terrorism” and “settling down internal conflicts all over the world,” as current approaches to solving these problems are not working, he added.
Ahead of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, RT spoke with Dr. Srdja Trifkovic, Foreign Affairs Editor of Chronicles magazine, on what can be expected from the tête-à-tête:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the United States has finally reached a conclusion that it’s time to take off the agenda the upfront demand for Bashar Assad’s departure… There are people both within the Department of State and in the Pentagon who suggest that the issue of Assad needs to be deferred and we need to talk to the Russians at least on cooperation issues where we can agree,” he said.
NATO is ready to discuss the coordination of military efforts in Syria to avoid any “incident or accident” between Russian forces and the US-led coalition, said the military alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
“Of course there is a need to make sure that there is no incident or accident and that there are mechanisms for de-conflicting the increased military presence of Russia with the ongoing efforts of the coalition fighting [Islamic State militants, former ISIS] ISIL,” he said speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, as cited by Reuters.
He urged Russia “to play a constructive, cooperative role in fighting ISIL,” however rejected the idea of coordinating efforts with the Syrian government, saying that it “is not a constructive contribution to finding a solution.”
He said that he welcomes the ongoing dialogue between the US and Russia regarding the issue. He is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Monday
Iran may serve as a mediator in the Syrian conflict, but President Bashar Assad definitely won’t be in control of the country, French President Francois Hollande told to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting on Sunday, Reuters reports. Assad is no longer an option for Syria, he added.
“Iran is a player (in the region), but also a facilitator,” an official said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have discussed prospects for cooperation against Islamic State and shared their opinions on Syria and Ukraine in light of the coming meeting between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama tomorrow in New York.
Lavrov has expressed his hope for an honest and frank conversation between the two presidents, who will hopefully come up with some solutions to the most urgent matters.
“John Kerry and I pin big hopes on tomorrow’s meeting between the Presidents and I hope we’ll be able to speak frankly to one another and to find the ways of moving forward,” he told reporters after the meeting with Kerry, TASS news agency reported.
The US and Russia share the same goal in Syria, but disagreements remain, Lavrov said. Some actions taken by the US to fight the terrorist group violate international law and have not been approved by the UN Security Council, he stressed.
The practice of imposing unilateral coercive measures, taken by one state to force a change in the policy of another, violates the UN Charter and must be stopped, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a UN summit on sustainable development, adding that the Cuba embargo needs to end.
“Such illegitimate restrictive actions, which among other things undermine basic market principles in the areas of trade, finance, technology and investment, must be stopped. This includes the need to lift the embargo against Cuba and other sanctions imposed arbitrarily, bypassing the UN Security Council,” Lavrov said on Sunday.
President Barack Obama will meet with Cuba's president, Raul Castro, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, a White House official said, as cited by Reuters on Sunday. This would be the first tete-a-tete meeting between the two since the US and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations in July.
All efforts to tackle Islamic State militants (IS, former ISIS, ISIL) must be coordinated, US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in New York in response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s comments about Russian, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian intelligence sharing.
"I think the critical thing is that all of the efforts need to be coordinated. This is not yet coordinated. I think we have concerns about how we are going to go forward," he said before talks with Lavrov.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said the purpose of Russian, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian intelligence sharing, is to coordinate the fight against Islamic State.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York City, Sunday, to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry ahead of the final day of the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015.
During the meeting Lavrov and Kerry are expected to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria amongst a range of other international issues.
Following the meeting the Russian foreign minister is set to give an address at the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015. The summit, which finishes the day before the UN General Assembly commences, is aimed at creating a new sustainable agenda to promote shared prosperity and worldwide well-being for the next 15 years. Lavrov will be among 150 international diplomats and world leaders to attend the event hosted by US President Barack Obama.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping meanwhile announced that Beijing will set up a fund to help developing countries. The initial pledge by China will see them pay $2 billion into the reserve.
"China will continue to increase investment in the least developed countries, aiming to increase its total to $12 billion by 2030," Xi told a sustainable development summit of world leaders at the United Nations, as cited by Reuters.
"China will exempt the debt of the outstanding intergovernmental interest-free loans due by the end of 2015 owed by the relevant least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing countries," he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in New York on Saturday, to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries. The talks were originally scheduled to take place in Caracas but were re-scheduled to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly currently taking place in New York.
The Russian foreign minister is also expected to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry as well as the foreign ministers of Germany and Syria. Maduro is in New York after holding high-level talks with his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos in Quito, where both sides made progress in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Cuba’s President Raul Castro, who spoke at the United Nations for the first time on Saturday. The two discussed Cuba’s relations with the US and recent normalization policies. Ban also praised Cuba’s role in facilitating the Colombian peace talks as well as its help in the fight against the Ebola crisis in West Africa.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir to call an immediate ceasefire in Yemen, stressing that there can be no military solution to the conflict. He also advocated for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and negotiations.
At the same time, Ban expressed his condolences to Saudi Arabia for the death of over 700 pilgrims in the tragic stampede near Mecca on 24 September.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani discussed the impact of "terrorism" on "sustainable development" at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Saturday.
"Common destiny requires a common goal, but this does not mean that the responsibilities of all are the same and equal," the Iranian leader said. He went on to add his belief that it would be "impossible to achieve the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals without considering the responsibilities of states and their share in creating the current environmental status quo and would result in fruitless arguments."
Then he turned to the notion of "terrorism" and how this impacts on sustainable development goals. "Terrorist groups crush the sustainable development goals and the continuation of this situation results in further poverty and environmental destruction. Not only have terrorism and violence damaged the environment, but also they have taken sustainable development out of the agenda of countries forcing them to spend their national resources on fighting against insecurity," he said before receiving applause from delegates in attendance.
26 September 2015
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in New York. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Facebook page, the two discussed ways to step up their strategic partnership, including Russia’s collaboration with Latin American and Caribbean integration groups.
Addressing the UN Development Summit, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for an investigation into the stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, in which over 750 people were killed this week.
He described the incident as “heart-rending” and stressed that “the causes of this incident and other similar incidents in this year’s Hajj” must be looked into.
France seeks clarity on Russia’s military build-up in Syria, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting on Saturday.
“This still isn’t very clear; therefore the conversations that we are going to have… or that other colleagues of mine will have… is going to allow, I hope, to clarify the situation in a positive way,” he was cited as saying by the Wall Street Journal.
He added that he would also talk about “redoubling” peace efforts with key players including the US, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia at the UNGA session.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, in New York on Saturday, a source told TASS.The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that Lavrov will attend over 50 events during his time at the UNGA. He is expected to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, among others.
President Vladimir Putin is expected to lead the Russian delegation and deliver a much anticipated speech on Monday at the opening of the Annual Debate.
The G4 leaders, which include Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, will insist on reforming the UN Security Council (UNSC) at the 70th UNGA session, a joint statement said on Saturday.
“They [the G4 leaders] pledged to work together with all [UN] Member States and to accelerate outreach towards achieving an early and meaningful reform of the Security Council. They expressed determination to redouble their efforts towards securing concrete outcomes during the 70th session of the General Assembly,” the leaders said after a meeting in New York.
According to the statement, the conflicts and crises ongoing worldwide require a more representative and effective UNSC.
nations support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the UNSC, which currently has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US – with veto powers.
READ MORE: Russia to support UNSC reform if backed by over 2/3 of member states – Foreign Ministry
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will travel to New York to join world leaders at the opening session of the General Assembly. Stoltenberg will also attend a peacekeeping summit with US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has set out for New York to take part in the UNGA session, Interfax has reported. He plans to address the UN Sustainable Development Summit on Sunday and take part in the Annual General Debate which will start on Monday. He is expected to deliver a speech at the UN before the General Assembly in the first part of the day on Tuesday. During his visit to the UN, Poroshenko will take part in 10 meetings and give a speech at Columbia University.
25 September 2015
More than 150 world leaders are expected to attend the UN Sustainable Development Summit which has kicked off at UN headquarters in New York.
Pope Francis delivered a wide-ranging address, urging global action to protect the environment and end the suffering of the “vast ranks of the excluded,” saying that “human beings take precedence over partisan interests.”
He appealed to world leaders to address the “the painful situation” of the crisis-stricken regions of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as other African countries.
15 September 2015
The 70th session of the UNGA has kicked off at the body’s HQ in New York. The session’s opening was headed by the President of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who both addressed the gathering.
“In less than 10 days’ time, our leaders will gather in this hall to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Lykketoft said.
The Agenda, which will be adopted during a special conference held between September 25 and 27, consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets that aim to be a charter and spearhead for action over the next 15 years.
Ban noted that the current session of the General Assembly marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the organization, calling it one of “compassion, prevention and, above all, action.”
READ MORE: 70th UN General Assembly aims to ‘end catastrophic wars & explosive refugee crises’