MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on UNESCO not to ignore the discrimination of the Russian language in Ukraine and in the Baltic countries.

"The Organization cannot stay aloof in situations when its high principles and ideals are flagrantly violated. In particular, it is about such reprovable situations as the removal of the Russian language from the educational space in Ukraine and Latvia, as well as curbs on free speech and pressure on the Russian mass media in the Baltic republics and a number of Western states," he said in an article on UNESCO’s 75th anniversary.

The minister also called on the international community and UNESCO to take effective measures to restore world heritage sites in Syria. Russia, according to Lavrov, is ready to offer all-round assistance.

The Russian top diplomat stressed that the reduction of the level of politicization of UNESCO was in the common interests of its member nations. "It is necessary to remove from the agenda issues of territorial integrity and sovereignty that are beyond its competence, as well as to exclude the very possibility of score-settling between countries within this world forum," he emphasized. "It is also regrettable that attempts to promote politically motivated and time-serving projects in the spirit of the notorious rule-based order that come into conflict with the traditional principles of consensus, inclusivity and dialogue never cease within UNESCO."