By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Thursday outlined its expectations for the next UN chief, as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' term expires on Dec. 31.
In an interview with Russian state news agency Tass, Kirill Logvinov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations, said the new UN chief must strictly adhere to the UN Charter and act in full compliance with its principles without exception.
He noted that Russia is currently "looking closely at the candidates and recording their approaches to key international problems and UN reform," which he described as "necessary to restore the organization's prestige."
"The future UN secretary-general must strictly follow the Charter, conscientiously and non-selectively approach compliance with its principles, and refrain from eroding the intergovernmental character of the UN and violating the principle of the 'division of labor' between the organization's main bodies," he stressed.
According to Logvinov, an important aspect is the formation of the UN Secretariat's personnel, which he argued has been "without exaggeration, monopolized by Westerners."
"Most leadership positions are filled by representatives of the Western minority or officials with dual Western citizenship. The current situation requires urgent correction. Staff selection should be carried out on the widest possible geographical basis, as provided for in Article 101 of the UN Charter," he emphasized.
Logvinov noted that Russia will "attach particular importance" to candidates' positions on the Ukrainian crisis.
"We expect the future head of the UN Secretariat to duly take into account our concerns, primarily the understanding that eliminating the root causes of the current situation is the key to a long-term peaceful settlement," he specified.
"We intend to approach the selection of a specific individual as rigorously as possible, taking into account their track record, declared intentions, and, most importantly, the degree of alignment of approaches to issues on the UN agenda," Logvinov said.
He criticized Guterres, saying he often neglects Article 100 of the UN Charter, which requires impartiality and objectivity, particularly regarding the Ukrainian crisis.
"If there is little hope for the 'correction' of the current UN secretary-general, then with his potential successor, the Russian side will, of course, work closely and preventively on this issue," he said.