Western Europeans must accept world has changed — UN Under-Secretary-General

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United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos stated that Western Europeans must understand the world has changed and that other countries seek equal opportunities to participate, according to interviews he gave to TASS in Moscow on May 23. Moratinos, who also serves as the UN Special Envoy on Combating Islamophobia, made the remarks following his attendance at the Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum international economic forum and related meetings in Russia. He emphasized multilateralism, a multipolar order, and the value of diplomacy and mutual understanding, while highlighting Russia's longstanding support for the Alliance of Civilizations and what he described as an excellent situation for Islam and Muslim communities in the country.

Moratinos linked these themes to the need for broader dialogue that includes more actors beyond the traditional permanent members of the UN Security Council. He said the Alliance provides a platform on equal footing and is growing more relevant amid shifting global dynamics. His comments, carried across multiple TASS dispatches from the same interview series, also covered plans to meet young diplomats and students, impressions of the KazanForum, discussions with Muslim religious leaders, and cooperation against violent extremism.

Coverage Comparison

All available reporting on Moratinos's statements originates from TASS English-language dispatches dated May 23 from Moscow. The coverage consists of several related articles drawing on the same set of interviews, each emphasizing different facets of his remarks. One dispatch centers on his assessment that Western Europeans need to grasp a changed world and the rise of multipolar participation, quoting him on the Russian Federation's approach to the Alliance as identifying what unites and divides peoples. Another focuses on his positive impressions of the KazanForum and the atmosphere in Moscow, detailing the forum's organization, substantive discussions, and his first visit to Kazan. A further report highlights his call for dialogue with new generations about the global situation and his intention to meet young diplomats and students at MGIMO, alongside productive sideline meetings at the forum.

Additional TASS pieces address Russia's readiness to join forces against extremism, the long history of the Alliance of Civilizations with Russia dating to its launch when Moratinos was Spanish foreign minister, and the potential for Russia to contribute to a new impetus for the Alliance through diplomacy. Separate coverage notes UN agreement with the need to discuss the global situation, the importance of adding other actors beyond the P5, and Moratinos's characterization of the situation with Islam and the Muslim community in Russia as excellent, in contrast to conditions he described in Europe and the United States. Framing across the dispatches ranges from neutral presentations of his views on multilateralism and dialogue to more positive tones when recounting his praise for the forum, interfaith relations, and Russian engagement. Language remains largely direct quotation of Moratinos, with occasional descriptors such as "extremely successful" or "very impressive" attributed to his own words about the events he attended. Because the material draws exclusively from TASS, there is no divergence among independent outlets to compare; the articles collectively present a consistent set of statements from the same interlocutor without contradictory accounts.

Key Claims

• Miguel Angel Moratinos emphasized the importance of engaging in dialogue with new generations about the current global situation, according to TASS, and plans to meet with young diplomats and students at MGIMO.
• He attended the Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum international economic forum, a fact reported across multiple TASS dispatches, and said he was impressed by the forum and the lively atmosphere in Moscow.
• Moratinos spoke with Muslim religious leaders in Russia and described a plenary session with large numbers of muftis and imams conveying messages of peace and understanding, per TASS.
• Russia is ready to join forces in the fight against extremism, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations has a long history with Russia, including early joint efforts with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to Moratinos as reported by TASS.
• He noted the importance of understanding the root causes of violent extremism and said Russia has been active and supportive of the Alliance from the beginning, with interest growing over recent years.
• Russia could become part of a new impetus for the Alliance of Civilizations, which he described as a platform for equal footing, based on TASS reporting of his remarks.
• Western Europeans need to understand the changing world, and Moratinos stressed the importance of multilateralism and a multipolar world in which different cultures, civilizations, identities, and religions are accepted, according to TASS.
• The UN agrees with Russia on the need to discuss the global situation; Moratinos said any occasion for such discussion is necessary and that other actors beyond the P5 should be added, as carried by TASS.
• The Alliance of Civilizations is becoming more relevant, in his assessment reported by TASS.
• The situation with Islam and the Muslim community in Russia is excellent, with good relations between Muslim communities and the Christian Orthodox Church; Moratinos said Russia can be proud of its achievements in interreligious and interfaith dialogue, contrasting this with Europe and the United States, according to TASS.

Perspectives

From the perspective reflected in Moratinos's statements as conveyed by TASS, the international system is transitioning toward multipolarity in which no single civilization or set of actors can impose its model. He presents the Alliance of Civilizations as a practical vehicle for placing participants on equal footing, fostering mutual understanding, and addressing root causes of extremism through dialogue rather than solely through security measures. Russia's role is cast as constructive and increasingly engaged: historically present at the Alliance's inception, diplomatically and financially supportive, and now positioned to help generate renewed momentum. Moratinos's account of interfaith conditions in Russia—integration of Muslim communities, positive relations with the Orthodox Church, and the symbolic role of Kazan—serves to illustrate successful coexistence that he contrasts with what he terms an "obsession about Islam" in European political scenarios. Temporal context includes his reference to the Alliance's post-World War II multilateral roots, the bipolar and unipolar periods that followed, and his own timeline of engagement (foreign minister at launch, High Representative since 2019, first Moscow visit in 2021 after COVID restrictions). He also situates the current moment as one requiring inclusion of additional global actors alongside any P5 discussions, aligning with earlier comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the need for leaders of the five nuclear powers to talk while insisting the world now exceeds that circle. No corrective notes or conflicting timelines appear in the available material; the statements form a coherent set of observations delivered during and after the KazanForum visit.