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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Secretary General! Colleagues!

I would like to welcome you and express my appreciation for your participation in our joint conference on Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is a major problem for the world community. The efforts that we are taking on together are directed toward finally allowing peace to reign on this land, which has undergone so many hardships, and a modern political system to be created there. We are also undertaking other steps necessary to eradicate terrorism and drug-related crime in the region. All this unites us and drives us to search for joint resolutions to these problems.

There is a fair number of problems in the world today, as has indeed always been the case. I have carefully studied your letter, which is devoted to the upcoming G20 summit in London and the problems related to the global financial crisis. I share your concerns and the approaches that you expressed in this letter.

Although we will certainly talk in London, I am sure that we will, naturally, be unable to achieve every resolution. And in this regard, I support the idea that you presented on holding a conference to address the global financial crisis under the sponsorship of the UN.

In any case, in order to implement the resolutions that may come to be during the G20 summit and other events, we will need to use the broadest international approaches, including the most representative platform of the United Nations.

I think that we can also discuss other issues that are on today’s agenda. Russia acts on the basis that the United Nations is a universal, international platform that unites all nations and all governments. And as a responsible member of the United Nations, as a permanent member of the Security Council, we will always contribute to reinforcing the authority of the United Nations.

I would like to thank you once more, Mr Secretary General, and other colleagues present here, for your participation in this conference and for your visit to Russia.

Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon: (in Russian) Thank you, Mr President. (in English) It’s a great honour for me. This is my second visit to Russia as the Secretary General. Last year, when I was here, you were President-Elect. Now, I am very pleased to meet you in your new capacity as President of the Russian Federation.

My visit takes place at a very crucial time, when a stronger partnership between the United Nations and the Russian Federation is ever more necessary, and also at a time when the whole international community is putting their energy and support into Afghanistan.

I am also very encouraged to note your very new energy and a new fresh approach to enhance the relations between the United States and the Russian Federation, which are crucially important for the modern world.

I would like to congratulate you and appreciate your leadership by hosting this international conference on Afghanistan. We had a very good start this morning under the chairmanship of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov.

This Moscow conference on Afghanistan provides new momentum and new energy to establish peace and stability and democracy in Afghanistan. And together with the forthcoming meetings on this issue, we hope that the international community will have a very full, clear course of action to help Afghanistan.

This is a good sign of a fresh start of multilateralism in many areas. In that regard, I am very happy to see that the Russian Federation is forward-looking and much more engaging in leading this multilateralism, and the United Nations needs your leadership. In fact, Mr Lavrov said, this may be called a “collective leadership”.

Russia can take a leadership role in many areas, as you have mentioned, in regional conflict issues – Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan – and also, in many global issues, like climate change, the world economic crisis, and food security – the areas where we need Russian leadership and active commitment.

We also need your initiative and leadership in the peace and stability in the Middle East, and in that regard, I’m looking forward to the convening of the Moscow peace process as soon as possible. In addition to many regional issues, since my visit takes place at a time when you also are going to London, I would like to discuss more about the G20 summit meeting, the financial and economic crisis, the climate change and some other matters of mutual concern.