MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Western countries have done their best in recent years to politicize the work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), steering its focus on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting of the National Commission for UNESCO.
"Since its creation, UNESCO has come a long way, winning universal recognition as a leading global platform in the field of culture, science, sports, and education," he pointed out. "However, like with many other international institutions, our Western colleagues have done their utmost in recent years to politicize UNESCO’s activities and focus its agenda on Ukraine. Double standards are clear here, particularly in the Executive Board’s anti-Russian decisions regarding Crimea and Ukraine, which go far beyond the organization’s mandate," Lavrov added.
The top Russian diplomat noted that "under the previous UNESCO director general, who represented France, the organization’s secretariat openly prioritized the interests of the Western minority, ignoring the Kiev regime’s policies targeting Russian-language education and culture, as well as overlooking journalist killings and widespread violations of the rights of Russians and Russian-speakers in Ukraine, including their right to their mother tongue and Orthodox faith, even though these are guaranteed by the UN Charter."
Lavrov also pointed out that the previous UNESCO leadership had ignored the destruction of monuments. In particular, UNESCO added the Ukrainian city of Odessa to its World Heritage List just a few days after a monument to Russian Empress Catherine II, the city’s founder, was destroyed there. "It’s hard to imagine a greater mockery of the respected organization’s mandate," the Russian foreign minister concluded.