MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump's initiative to discuss UN reform at an upcoming summit resembles a diktat rather than an invitation to discuss the issue, Russian Senator and First Deputy head of the Federation Council (upper house)’s Defense and Security Committee Franz Klintsevich told reporters on Saturday.
"Donald Trump’s intention to discuss UN reforms with the world leaders looks like a diktat rather than a discussion," the senator said. "I cannot really judge if UN reform is timely at the moment, and whether it may cause bigger disputes among countries."
"Those are, so to say, issues of a different layer, but anyway this is not the way to address them," he said.
According to the international practice, he continued, at first experts from different countries get together to discuss common approaches, to agree positions, and only after that - as they reach consensus - the issue is to be discussed by top leaders.
"And, of course, there are no whatever preconditions like a ten-item declaration, which Donald Trump wants to be signed," the senator continued. "Nobody doubts the right of a U.S. president for big initiatives, but I would not be surprised if this initiative causes surprise even among the U.S. close partners at NATO."
Reuters reported earlier, the U.S. leader suggests discussing at that meeting a reform of the United Nations Organization.
"U.S. President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of the United Nations, will seek to gather global support for reforming the world body when he hosts an event at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 18, a day before he formally addresses the 193-member organization," Reuters said. "Countries will be invited to attend Trump’s function if they sign on to a U.S.-drafted 10-point political declaration backing efforts by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "to initiate effective, meaningful reform"."
The political discussion at the UN General Assembly will begin on September 19 with speeches by Guterres and President of the 72nd session of the General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak. The U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the first speech at the UN. The debates at the General Assembly will continue to September 25.
According to the preliminary plan, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will address to the participants on September 21.