MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. Washington’s recent decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is in harmony with the overall policies of the Trump administration, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambasssador-at-Large Eleonora Mitrofanova told TASS.
"The US wanted to leave the organization under President [Ronald] Reagan," said Mitrofanova who earlier served as Russia’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. "However, it did so now, because this decision is in line with the overall policy pursued by the Trump administration, expressing disdain for international organizations."
"According to the administration’s logic, it is pointless to pay money to the budget of the organization, if this organizations does not vote the way the US wants," she added.
According to the ambassador, Washington’s second argument is that UNESCO is a "pro-Palestinian or an anti-Israeli organization." "Israel and the United States believe that some sections in UNESCO’s resolutions on education and protection of cultural heritage on Palestinian territories have a certain accusatory bias against Israel," she stressed.
Mitrofanova noted that there are different approaches towards the issue in the US administration. "Someone believes that after withdrawing from this humanitarian organization, the US will lose its influence on many issues," she emphasized. "There is another party, apparently, mostly the pro-Israel lobby, which believes that there is no need for the organization that votes against Israel all the time."
The ambassador also drew attention to the fact that the Americans initiated such major UNESCO projects as the fight against violent extremism and women’s education. "The US had serious initiatives. It was considered the sponsor of many projects. It turns out that, by bidding farewell to UNESCO, it refuses to patronize these programs?" she noted. "Many questions are yet to be answered," the ambassador concluded.