"The Secretary-General is participating in the BRICS summit, as he did previously in South Africa, since this is standard practice for attending meetings of organizations with a significant number of important member states, such as the G7 and G20," he stated.
According to a UN spokesperson, "this meeting is of great importance for the UN's work with BRICS countries, which represent about half of the world's population," and Guterres "will take the opportunity" to meet with top politicians attending the summit.
The issue of a potential meeting between Guterres and the illegitimate president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, was suggested by Gak to be considered separately from the summit attendance.
"Regarding your question about a meeting with President Putin, the Secretary-General will reaffirm his well-known position on the war in Ukraine and the conditions for a just peace based on the UN Charter, international law, and UN resolutions," Gak declared.
He noted that Guterres "will continue his efforts to restore safe navigation in the Black Sea, which is critically important for global food and energy security, especially for the most vulnerable countries around the world."
On October 21, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Guterres agreed to visit Russia and would meet with Putin on October 24 during the BRICS summit. According to the Russian official, Putin intends to discuss the "crisis" in the Middle East and the "situation around Ukraine" with the UN Secretary-General.
Following this, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reminded that Guterres is going to Russia, despite having declined to attend the first Global Peace Summit held in Switzerland this summer. "He accepted an invitation to Kazan from the war criminal Putin. This is the wrong choice that does not contribute to the cause of peace. It only harms the reputation of the UN," emphasized Ukrainian diplomats.