MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. The West is exploiting UNESCO for its own geopolitical interests but will never be able to "cancel" Russia in it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Regrettably, we have to state that UNESCO is being used in geopolitical interests and Russian representatives going to work in the organization have to face unprecedented discrimination, sometimes being forced to wait over a year for visas. This was unheard of even during the Cold War," he said at the opening ceremony of a TASS photo exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Russia’s membership in UNESCO at the Russian foreign ministry.

At the same time, he noted that UNESCO is still a unique universal humanitarian organization from which "no one will be able to cancel Russia." "Those who are seeking to do this, are hurting the prestige and potential of the organization, which they are ready to sacrifice to their Russophobic and neo-colonial instincts," he stressed.

According to the top Russian diplomat, both Russia and the countries of the global majority know the importance of preserving time-tested mechanisms of cooperation. "We will be able to overcome the current crisis through our consolidated efforts and put UNESCO back on the track of promoting a professional, mutually beneficial dialogue," he added.