President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The President thanked the Secretary-General for his efforts in overcoming the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. An exchange of views took place on António Guterres' initiative to develop a global vaccination plan under the auspices of the Group of Twenty.
"Comprehensive vaccination is the only way out. Unfortunately, access to safe and effective vaccines is still unequal. However, I would like to commend and express gratitude for your leadership in overcoming the challenges and coordinating global action during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the President said.
Particular attention was paid to the security situation in eastern Ukraine given the increasing military presence of the Russian Federation along the Ukrainian border and in the temporarily occupied territories. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked António Guterres for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its peaceful efforts.
"I would like to express my support once again for your last year's call for a ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic," the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine was one of the first to support this call and did everything possible to implement it starting from July 2020. The President also informed the Secretary-General about the establishment of the Center for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine, which should become an international hub to combat destructive information influence.
The President stressed that the initiative of the Crimean Platform, which Ukraine will officially launch at the summit in August, will return the issue of Crimea to the international agenda, launch the process of deoccupation of the peninsula and become a practical mechanism for protecting human rights in Crimea right now.
The President also noted the important practical role played by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in monitoring the situation in Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.