Pellegrini Invites UN Secretary-General to Slovakia

New York, September 23 (TASR) - Slovak President Peter Pellegrini on Monday invited UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit Slovakia. According to Pellegrini, the visit could take place during an international forum on artificial intelligence that will be organised by the Education Ministry in cooperation with the OECD in Slovakia in the autumn next year. "I noted that Slovakia is a serious candidate for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2028 and 2029," Pellegrini said after meeting Guterres, adding that he assured him that Slovakia is a strong advocate of the functioning of multilateral organisations. Prior to the meeting, Pellegrini took part in the Summit of the Future 2024, which is part of this year's UN General Assembly. In this vein, the president noted that the effective functioning of organisations such as the UN Security Council and World Trade Organisation is vital for Slovakia. "Without well-functioning international institutions, Slovakia won't be able to assert its rights in the event of a conflict with another country or in the event of a split in politics and international trade," he explained. According to him, many countries, including large ones, don't respect the principles on which the UN was founded. "There is no better alternative than the UN," he stressed. If the erosion of the UN continues, he said, it will be impossible to effectively resolve conflicts in different parts of the world. zel/mcs