WASHINGTON, July 22. /TASS/. ‘Cancellation’ or isolation of Russia in the World Bank failed despite all the West’s efforts, Executive Director of the World Bank representing Russia Roman Marshavin told TASS.
"We had to state that traditions of classical diplomacy as a tool of building up solid long-term relations appear to be almost forgotten in the Western world. The situation with appointing the dean of the Board of Directors of the World Bank became the shining example of neglecting the opinion of the majority and the principle of the multilateral consensus. The Russian director was to take this informal position, considering the record of service, but unfriendly countries changed the rule successfully used for decades that became disadvantageous for them and ‘elected’ an Italian representative for this role. The so-called 'election' was organized with trampling upon all the democratic procedures - ballots were accepted by email and Board members were at the same time denied even access to the final record," Marshavin said. "Such line of Western counterparts attempting to keep under control Bretton Woods institutions by any legal and illegal methods is causing increasingly greater irritation with Global South representatives," he noted. "Against such background, calm, non-politicized and balanced opinion of Russia in the World Bank Group enjoys particular respect, and not only from the side of our traditional allies. Some representatives of Western directorates, whose capitals can be called unfriendly, resumed direct communications with us. There again, they still request not to make them public," the executive director noted.
"So, there is no talk about 'cancellation' of Russian presence in the World Bank some individuals in Washington and Kiev so much dreamed of," Marshavin stressed.