FM Fidan meets UN chief at BRICS summit in Brazil

RIO DE JANERIO

 Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday in Brazil.

The two held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

According to a UN statement, the meeting addressed the "strong partnership between the United Nations and Türkiye," with Fidan and Guterres exchanging views on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and the next round of meetings concerning the island of Cyprus.

On July 16-17, Guterres is set to convene an informal meeting concerning Cyprus with the leaders of the divided island along with its guarantor powers – including Türkiye – at UN headquarters in New York.

Lavrov meeting

 Fidan also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Fidan and Lavrov discussed bilateral political and economic issues, as well as cooperation in the field of energy, according to diplomatic sources.

The ministers also exchanged views on regional issues, including the risks posed by Israel’s growing aggression in the region, recent developments in Gaza, Iran’s nuclear activities, and the situation in Afghanistan, the sources added.

On July 6, he sat down with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for separate talks.

The two-day leaders' summit brought together representatives from 11 member countries, 10 partner nations, and eight invited states, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Kenya, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay.

Nine international and regional organizations were also represented.

BRICS, originally formed in 2006 as "BRIC" by Brazil, Russia, India and China, was expanded in 2010 with the inclusion of South Africa.

It aims to bring together the world's developing countries to challenge the economic and political dominance of North America and western Europe.

Azerbaijan also submitted a formal application to join the alliance last year, a move that has been welcomed by Russia.

During a session at the summit, Fidan warned that Israel’s war in Gaza has "reversed decades of development" in the region.

"If Israel’s aggression and expansionism are not brought under control, the consequences will be felt globally,” diplomatic sources quoted him as saying.

Fidan said Israel’s actions have triggered a crisis for international institutions responsible for maintaining peace and security.

“The tragedy of the Palestinian people is now at the center of our discussions on multilateralism,” he said. “This situation is a serious crisis for the legitimacy of institutions responsible for maintaining international peace and security.”

Fidan said Türkiye is intensifying efforts to support a peaceful resolution and de-escalation in the region and stands ready to back lasting peace.