UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday denied receiving pressure from Washington that would stop him from speaking out.
"I've received no pressure at all not to speak," Guterres told reporters at the UN Headquarters.
"There is nothing that will influence me not to affirm the values that I consider the central values of the (UN) Charter and the central values of our common civilization," said Guterres.
At the same time, he refused to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump's words concerning violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, that were widely criticized for sympathizing with white supremacists.
"I do not comment on what presidents say. I affirm principles," replied Guterres when asked to comment on Trump's latest words about racial violence in Charlottesville.
Trump said Tuesday that the white nationalists and the demonstrators rallying against them in Charlottesville were both to blame for the deadly violence that broke out over the weekend.
"Whenever necessary I will say whatever I believe is necessary, independently of the fact that that might not be pleasant to the president of this country (Trump) or any other country," said Guterres.
However, the UN chief stressed that racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and islamophobia are poisoning human societies, saying it is "absolutely essential for us all to stand up against them everywhere and every time."
