Western countries have failed to isolate Russia in UNESCO and their policy has worked to the detriment of the organization itself, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

“The West has failed to isolate, or, as they put it, cancel Russia in UNESCO. The overwhelming majority of states refused to take part in anti-Russian games and in the long run such Western policy has done harm, first and foremost, to the organization and the ideals it is called to promote,” he said at a meeting of the Russian commission on UNESCO affairs.

He noted that in response to the Western “hysterics” Russia has been pursuing a policy of promoting a unifying agenda in the organization. “The postponement of the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee to next year is contrary to the position of developing countries and against their interests. In response to these hysterics we have been trying to continue purely professional work within UNESCO, to promote a unifying agenda within the organization. This position has made it possible to achieve concrete results,” the Russian top diplomat stressed.

In particular, he noted the forum devoted to the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, which was held in St. Petersburg and Kazan. “It brought together delegations from 56 countries of the CIS, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The forum was the biggest and most representative international event of the jubilee year,” he added.

Source: Agencies