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Russian ambassador says new UN Secretary-General to form team within six months

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will unlikely be suspended, Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin believes that it will take new UN Secretary-General around six months to form a new team.

"He hasn’t changed any officials yet, there is much work ahead. I think he will not rush things but he is sure to form his own team within six months," Churkin told reporters ahead of the meeting between UN Secretary-General Designate Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At the same time the Russian diplomat said Guterres was unlikely to suspend UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. "This is a special case, De Mistura has an entire UN agency behind him. This is not the right time to suspend him," Churkin added.

When asked about Moscow’s position, the Russian envoy said: "We have been criticizing him (de Mistura) but out criticism is constructive."

Speaking about Guterres’s proposals on Syria, Churkin noted: "He has some proposals to make but I won’t voice them instead of him. He knows what he wants, what his role will be as well as the role of the UN Secretariat."

In response to a question on the US President-Elect Donald Trump’s team, Churkin said he wasn’t acquainted with UN permanent representative to the UN Samantha Power’s successor, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. As for candidates for CIA head and secretary of state, Churkin was confident "they are all worthy people.".