Opening remarks by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov acting in the capacity of the current President of the UN Security Council during an online meeting, Moscow, October 20, 2020

Sergey Lavrov: The meeting of the UN Security Council in the format of a videoconference is now declared open.

Provisional Agenda: Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Comprehensive Review of the Situation in the Persian Gulf Region.

If there are no objections, the agenda is adopted.

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar to participate in this meeting.

The motion is adopted.

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following speakers to participate in this meeting: President of the International Crisis Group non-profit organisation Robert Malley and Research Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vitaly Naumkin.

No objections. The motion is approved.

Based on Rule 39 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the UN Security Council, I invite His Excellency Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit and His Excellency Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef Al-Hajraf to participate in this meeting.

The motion is adopted.

The UN Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 on the agenda.

I would like to draw the attention of the Council members to document S/2020/1013, which contains a cover letter from the UN Secretary-General dated October 14, 2020 to the President of the Security Council attached to a concept note on the agenda item under consideration.

I shall now give the floor to the UN Secretary-General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres.