Lavrov Confirms Trump’s Backing for Russia’s Proposed Summit of UN Security Council P5

March 4, 2020 (EIRNS)—Speaking in Helsinki on Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took note of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to hold a summit of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members. “The initiative was supported by the French President and the Chinese leader. And quite recently, President Trump confirmed his consent and endorsement of this proposal,” Lavrov told a news conference after talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

Lavrov reported that the date and venue for the summit are being discussed currently, and he hopes “that we will come to an agreement in the near future. Then we will announce it.”

Pyotr Ilyichev, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organizations, had earlier told journalists that such a summit could take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s jubilee session in New York in September, and President Trump suggested the summit might be held in New York, in his Feb. 29 press conference, but there are no specific agreements on that score yet.