Mikhail Gorbachev meets the Elders of international politics

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On 29 April 2015, Mikhail Gorbachev met a delegation of veterans of international politics (the “Elders”) currently on a visit to Moscow. The delegation included former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland, former President of the United States Jimmy Carter, former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo, and former Foreign Minister of Algeria Lakhdar Brahimi.

As noted by Mr Kofi Annan, the purpose of the visit was to get a better understanding of Russia’s stand and a better idea of sentiments in Russian society over the complicated situation currently observed in international affairs. Earlier in the visit, the delegation had a discussion with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and was due to meet President Vladimir Putin later in the day.

Mr Gorbachev agreed that the international situation was of great concern. He offered his view on the causes of the conflict in Ukraine. All participants agreed that the most important thing now was to ensure that all the sides to the conflict abide by the commitments made at Minsk.

At the same time, the global agenda had to be revisited in parallel to the efforts that address urgent regional issues. Mikhail Gorbachev reminded of his call to the leaders of Russia and the United States, urging them to meet and discuss a wide range of issues. Mr Gorbachev stressed that “trust had to be rebuilt and such a meeting could be a first step. Sadly, there have been no response to this proposal since last October”.

Addressing the call to these two countries was not fortuitous. Russia and the United States continue to play a key role in international affairs. Clearly, other countries should also be involved in the dialogue as soon as possible. And the United Nations should actively contribute to launching such dialogue.

In the course of the discussion, all participants proved to share a common view: Now is not the time for us to sit on our hands; we should use every opportunity to normalize the situation in Europe and globally, and make efforts towards restoring a climate of cooperation in international affairs.

The Gorbachev Foundation’s International and Media Relations