Foreign Minister Lavrov Meeting Secretary General Guterres At G20 Summits, Russia Asks The United Nations To Join Other Countries' Orders In Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (left) when meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Bali G20 Summit. (Twitter/@mfa_russia)

JAKARTA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres the UN Secretariat should not receive instructions from other countries in the context of developments in Ukraine, when the two met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Tuesday.

"Foreign Minister Lavrov pointed to the need for the UN Secretariat to strictly follow a balanced and impartial path in the UN Charter Article 100, which stipulates it is unacceptable to receive instructions from any country regarding acute global issues, especially in the context of situations in Ukraine", said a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, reported by TASS on November 16.

"As previously underlined, it should serve as a support for achieving long-term resolutions in conflict situations and providing peace and global security," the ministry added.

While citing Reuters, the UN Secretary-General carried out a "very honest and open discussion" of the Black Sea seed agreement with the Russian Foreign Minister.

"They had long meetings and discussed all aspects related to the process of facilitating Russia's exports, food, fertilizers and the Black Sea Grain Initiative," said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

"It was a very honest and open discussion," he continued.

The meeting was held just days before the Black Sea seed deal would end. The premise, which was held in July, opened the lock on agricultural exports from Ukraine's southern port and helped reduce global food prices.

However, Moscow has not said whether to extend its participation in the UN-backed deal. The deal has helped prevent a global food crisis by allowing exports of food and fertilizer from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

It is known that Foreign Minister Lavrov led the Russian delegation at a meeting of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia which took place on November 15-16.