According to Mirzayan, Guterres is a person capable of carrying out long-awaited reforms within the UN.
"No one likes the UN platform in its current form, although everyone is ready to co-exist with it. However, in order to solve geopolitical problems, the UN leadership should finally demonstrate real political will to engage in crisis resolution," the expert told Sputnik.
According to Mirzayan, after the end of the bipolar confrontation between the US and RUssia, the UN's tasks have changed. Its focus switched to diplomacy and the main function of the Secretary General has shrunk to maneuvering between the great powers and maintaining the UN as a platform for dialogue.
For many years, the United Nations has mostly been appreciated for the opportunity it has given the states to speak in front of the General Assembly. Its practical role withdrew into the background, but now it might be time for changes, the expert noted.
"Today, Antonio Guterres could be able to overcome the existing inertness," Marzayan said.
"I do not exclude that the new Secretary General could come up with some pro-American statements. And that's OK, because the United States remains the strongest world power nowadays. But in any case, Russia won't focus on the new UN Secretary General's words, but rather his actions regarding some future reforms. The new Secretary General is quite capable of it [carrying out reforms]. Anyway, Russian hopes so," he concluded.
The UN General Assembly approved on October 13, Portugal's former Prime Minister Guterres as the next UN Secretary General, who is set to assume office on January 1, 2017. During the election, Guterres received unanimous support from UN Security Council members.
