Sep 26, 2026
2 min read
Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd has held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as Guyana continues diplomatic engagements surrounding Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett’s bid to become the next United Nations Secretary-General.
The two met on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where, according to Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, their discussions included the role and mandate of the next UN Secretary-General.
Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN and the country’s candidate for the post, was also present at the meeting.
The Ministry did not indicate whether Russia expressed a position on her candidacy.
The meeting comes as the positions of the Security Council’s five permanent members become increasingly important to the race.
The New York Times reported this week that the United States has indicated it would oppose Rodrigues-Birkett, citing her previous description of Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide.
President Irfaan Ali has since said Washington has communicated no such position directly to Guyana. He dismissed reports of a possible US veto as “engineered leaks” and said the response to Rodrigues-Birkett during his engagements in New York has been overwhelmingly positive.
Any opposition from a permanent member could prove decisive.
The Security Council must recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, and the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom each hold veto power.
That makes Guyana’s engagement with Moscow significant, although there is no indication that Russia has committed its support to Rodrigues-Birkett.
She has, however, secured CARICOM’s collective endorsement and remains among the candidates receiving significant support in the Security Council’s informal straw polls.
