MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will address a session of the UN General Assembly and is also planning to hold around 20 bilateral meetings on its sidelines, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharov said on Thursday.

"During the UN General Assembly’s General Debate that will run from September 20 through September 26, he [Lavrov] will speak at the very General Assembly meeting and will also take part in a range of bilateral meetings and multilateral events," Zakharova said. So far, there have been about 20 requests for meetings with the minister, she added.

"The UN secretary general has invited the Russian delegation to a meeting," the diplomat said.

According to Zakharova, at the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting, Moscow would defend its fundamental positions and continue pushing for enhancing the UN’s central role as a coordinator in international affairs and strictly complying with its Charter, including the principles of the equality of sovereigns and non-interference in domestic affairs.

"We proceed from the fact that the UN should remain the nucleus of a multilateral system as well as the sole and truly universal platform and forum for addressing today’s pressing issues. This in no way diminishes the important role of regional forums and the existing international organizations tackling regional security issues," Zakharova concluded. The United Nations remains genuinely universal, she emphasized.