Russian Foreign Minister Congratulates Bachelet On Taking Post Of UN Human Rights Chief

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published August 14, 2018 | 06:37 PM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on her appointment as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on her appointment as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly approved Bachelet as the next head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), effective from September 1, for a four-year period.

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent a message to M. Bachelet, congratulating her on the appointment, noting high professional qualities, as well as rich experience and personal contribution to the development of international cooperation, including on the promotion and protection of human rights," the ministry said.

The Russian minister also expressed hope that Bachelet would pay close attention to the establishment of an atmosphere of constructive, mutually respectful cooperation and dialogue of states within the framework of UN human rights structures and the exchange of experience in human rights protection.

Moscow believes that human rights are aimed at promotion of rapprochement of various states and groups of states, as well as at strengthening the atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in international relations, it added.

"Russia is open to cooperation on the full range of human rights issues and is ready to develop further cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office headed by her," the ministry concluded.

Bachelet served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018. She was the first Executive Director of UN Women, an agency responsible for promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, between 2010 and 2013. She also served as Chilean Defense Minister in 2002-2004 and Health Minister in 2000-2002.