UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' participation in the summit of BRICS leaders in Russia was important for UN work, as it benefits from the contribution of the attending emerging economies, his spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Friday.
"I have already explained for several days running that it was important to attend the BRICS Summit, which is one of the crucial summits with a large number of member states, whose work is vital to the work of the organization," Haq told reporters.
Guterres was in Russia this week to attend the BRICS Summit, which was hosted by the Russian city of Kazan from October 22-24. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, drawing criticism from Ukraine and some of its allies.
Russia chairs the association in 2024. The country's BRICS presidency focuses on strengthening multilateralism for fair global development and security. As part of its presidency, Russia is organizing more than 200 political, economic and social events.