SOCHI. Oct 19 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is convinced that the United Nations should, even 100 years after its establishment, remain the center of the system of international relations.
Speaking at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Putin mentioned that the 100th anniversary of the UN's establishment will be marked in 2045.
"Over the past decades, there have been several attempts to belittle this organization's role, discredit it or simply assume control of it. All these attempts have predictably failed or reached an impasse," he said.
"In our view, the UN, with its universal legitimacy, should remain the center of the international system, and the general goal is to increase its authority and efficiency. There is no alternative to the UN today," Putin said.
The UN needs reforms, but they should be gradual and evolutionary, he said.
"Certainly, they should be supported by an overwhelming majority of actors involved in the international process within the organization itself," Putin said.