OREANDA-NEWS. March 19, 2010. Dmitry Medvedev and Ban Ki-moon exchanged views on current cooperation between Russia and the United Nations and on relevant international issues, particularly a Middle East settlement, overcoming the effects of the global financial crisis and combating climate change.

The UN Secretary-General is in Moscow to attend a meeting of the Quartet of international mediators for a Middle East peace settlement.

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Mr Secretary-General,

I am very pleased to welcome you to the Kremlin.

We have met on a regular basis, not only in Moscow but also in New York and sometimes at the G20 summits in various countries. I think this is very important if the United Nations is to function properly.

We always have a very full agenda to get through and discuss the major challenges facing the United Nations, such as the Millennium Development Goals. We also address important and complex regional issues, such as the Middle East, the Afghan problem and others. Of course we regularly review the consequences of the global financial crisis. All this is crucial in helping us resolve these difficult issues together with the United Nations.

Again, allow me to welcome you to Moscow.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON: (in Russian) Thank you Mr President, I am very happy to be here.

(in English) It’s a great honour for me to visit Russia for the third time as [UN] Secretary-General and thank you very much for your hospitality. I highly commend your leadership and initiative in addressing many global challenges. I am also very encouraged and appreciate your initiative to convene a Quartet meeting for Middle East peace process. This is a perfect venue, where Quartet can express their conditions, how best they can help this Middle East peace process.

I highly commend your leadership again to make this world free of nuclear weapons. And I expect and sincerely hope that you and President Obama of the United States will be able to sign this START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] Treaty as soon as possible.

Your leadership and initiative on climate change is deeply appreciated and again your strong commitment on Millennium Development Goals I do appreciate. And I extend my cordial invitation to Your Excellency to participate in Millennium Development Summit meeting in September at the United Nations [in New York].

Your very generous contribution to help many developing countries – most developing countries – through increasing your usual development assistance as humanitarian assistance to Haiti: those are very widely and deeply appreciated by the international community and I count on your great resolve.