QUESTION: Mr.Secretary-General, why are you going to Moscow?ANSWER: I will be in Moscow to participate in the celebration of the 60-th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War along with a number of other world leaders. I''m sure it will be a deeply moving occasion. Russia''s losses in the Second World War , as well as the horrific number of all victims in this human tragedy are almost unfathomable. A few years ago, I visited one of the largest World War Two cemeteries in St.Petersnburg – Peskarev memorial cemetery. The magnitude of death was almost impossible to take in – tens of thousands of graves, row upon row. And every time I have visited Moscow, I have laid a wreath on the grave of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin Wall, where also the names of all the hero cities are inscribed. But let us be clear: this commemoration will be a celebration of hope and solidarity among nations; after all, the end of the war gave rise to the United Nations – of which Russia is a founding member. Our most important task is toprevent such a thing from ever happening again – or, as the Charter puts it, to «save succeeding generations from the scourge of war».While in Moscow, I will also use the opportunity to meet with many political leaders, including members of the Middle East Quartet, of which both Russia and the UN are members.QUESTION: This year Victory Day coincides with the 60-th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In your view what is the historical and political interconnection between the two?ANSWER: Victory Day may coincide this year with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, but the relationship between the two dates is not a mere coincidence. The United Nations was formed out of the ashes of the Second World War, by visionary leaders who wanted to ensure that the horrors of that war would never be repeated. When we pay tribute and take account of the awful cost of that war – as we did earlier this year when the United Nations observed the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army – we also try to keep true to our mission, to find peaceful solutions to crises and protect the rights of all. Ultimately, the mission of the United Nations is the same one that was on the lips of many who observed the first Victory Day:»Never again.»But this anniversary year is also a fork in the road: it is a year in which we are thinking ahead, and engaging in a constructive debate among nations and world leaders about the futute: how to defeat poverty; how to build a collective security system able to meet our common threats; and how to increase respect for human dignity in every land. That is why, in March this year, I placed before Member States a report setting out proposals for affordable ways to reach the Millenium Davelopment Goals, far-reaching reforms of the international security system, and concrete action to increase respect for human rights. I have put forward an agenda that I believe is both bold and achievable – one that will provide a focus of discussion and debate in the months leading up to a summit meeting at the United Nations in September. The summit must be a time of decision. I hope that political leaders will come to New York ready to take bold steps, including on ways to adapt the United Nations itself. QUESTION: You were a young boy during World War Two. Do you have any personal recollections of V-Day or the war itself?ANSWER: I was too young to be able to remember much. But thousands of Ghanians did serve in the Allied war effort. The Gold Coast Regiment participated in campaigns in East Africa and Burma. It has been estimated that 65,000 served with the Royal West African Frontier Force. QUESTION: How would you characterize the UN/Russia relations and cooperation on the major issues of the UN agenda? ANSWER: The United Nations and Russia work closely on many fronts in peace and security. In the Middle East, we work side by side with Russian officials as past of the Quartet in trying to bring a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. We work very closely on a number of other political issues such as Afghanistan, the Balkans, Georgia/Abhazia and Azerbaijan where the UN and Russia are involved in mediating conflict situations. Russia is also a contributor to UN peacekeeping mission. Soldiers, military observers and civilian policemen serve with distinction in UN missions around the world , in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra-Leone, in Timor L''Este and Kosovo, to name just a few. And, of course, Russia plays an active role in joint efforts in combatting terrorism. Just some days ago, after many years of negotiations the General Assembly adopted Convention on Nuclear Terrorism initiated by the Russian Federation. It was a vital step forward in multilateral efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism. I am also deeply grateful that last November, I received the Russian Federation instrument of ratification for the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. President Putin''s leadership on that issue made it possible for the Protocol to enter into force earlier this year.Russia played its part in the work of my High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, with the invaluable contribution of your former Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov. And of course, your Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is a member of the United Nations family in his own right, having served here in New York as a Russia''s Permanent Representative for so many years. I consider him a friend. QUESTION: What are the chances for a meaningful Security Council reform to be implemented this year?ANSWER: I believe that there is not only a good chance for meaningful Security Council reform this year, but that this year offers a unique opportunity to reshape the United Nations as a whole, to make it more effective at meeting today''s challenges. The Summit that will take place at the United Nations this September provides the perfect opportunity for world leaders to deal with commitments across a wide range of concerns, from peace and security to development, human rights, the rule of law and the strengthening of the United Nations. The stakes could scarcely be higher, and I believe that, with the right spirit of compromise, much can be achieved.