Former president Michelle Bachelet held a meeting Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow as part of her bid for UN Secretary-General. She has one visit left to the United States to complete meetings with the five veto powers.
Bachelet arrived in Russia on Monday to discuss with Lavrov the challenges facing the international system and the UN role in peace and cooperation. She stressed that the world needs a neutral, independent and impartial Secretary-General aligned with the UN Charter. Lavrov reiterated Russian support for the principle of neutrality for the Secretary-General and said the post must commit to the Charter in full, without double standards. Bachelet has already met with officials from the United Kingdom, France, China and Turkey in recent weeks. The Chilean candidate is scheduled to be in the United States mid-month to complete her round of visits. She participated Saturday in the Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul, where she addressed environmental protection together with economic development.
