UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres concerned about Cold War

United Nations, March 29: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that he is "very concerned" about the world returning to a Cold War situation and suggested reviving mechanisms that existed then to prevent escalation of tensions.

Asked by reporters about the rising tensions between the US and Russia and their mutual expulsion of diplomats, Guterres said, "I am very concerned."

The world was coming to a situation similar to what prevailed during the Cold War, he said.

Guterres saw the situation now as more riskier because unlike then there are no mechanisms in place to prevent tensions rising and there are now several actors instead of just two superpowers.

During the Cold War, there were mechanisms to avoid escalation of tensions but they were dismantled after the Cold War ended because it was thought that were not longer needed, he said.