United Nations Secretary-General: I came to Ukraine not to give any lessons, but to announce UN respect and support for your country
The leadership of the United Nations (UN) highly evaluates the
remarkable progress of Ukraine and assures of its staunchest support for the
Government’s ambitious reform agenda. This was stated by Secretary-General of
the United Nations António Guterres
in the course of the meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr
Groysman. The visit to Ukraine has become one of the
first international visits of the newly elected UN Secretary-General, who
assumed his duties in January this year.
«I have to say that there is an emotional dimension, and of course a
political dimension in my visit. I am Secretary-General of the United Nations
and, in that regard I have no nationality, but I am also a former Prime
Minister of Portugal and, as Portuguese, I learnt to have an enormous
admiration and an enormous friendship with Ukrainian people. I feel a strong
solidarity with Ukrainian people in a moment in which Ukrainian people are
suffering so much. The capacities of the Secretary-General of the UN are
limited, but whatever I will be able to do to support Ukrainian people to be
able to have a peace and prosperity in the context of the territorial integrity
and a sovereignty and independence of Ukraine is, of course something, that I
fully respect and I am fully committed», emphasized António
Guterres.
Speaking about the peace process and the settlement of the situation in
the Donbass, the Secretary-General accentuated that
the United Nations will support different formats of negotiations and processes
that are in place, including those being held under the auspices of the OSCE.
«We are at your disposal. You can count on our strong commitment to
provide assistance and to support humanitarian actions. I came here not to give
you any lessons, but to pay my respect and to give full support, in particular
for the very ambitious reform program presented at the London Conference»,
underscored the UN Secretary-General.