MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Argentine Ambassador to Moscow Enrique Ignacio Ferrer Vieyra have discussed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi’s nomination for UN secretary general, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The ambassador presented Argentina’s candidate for the position of UN secretary general, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi," the statement reads.
The parties also discussed certain aspects of Russia-Argentina dialogue, the ministry added.
UN secretary general election
Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th UN General Assembly session, said earlier that the body would start holding meetings with candidates for UN chief in late April. The election process is set for late July.
The two candidates that have so far announced plans to run for the position include Grossi and Rebecca Grinspan, secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Current UN chief Antonio Guterres’ term will expire on December 31, 2026.
The UN secretary general is elected by the UN Security Council and approved by the General Assembly for a five-year term with the possibility of re-election. The number of terms is not limited, but no one has so far served in this capacity for more than ten years. Under the existing practice, the secretary general should not come from one of the five countries that hold permanent Security Council seats, which include Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France.