GENEVA, January 31. /TASS/. Russia notes with disappointment that some countries are unwilling to cooperate at the World Health Organization (WHO) platform, Russia's Deputy Health Minister Sergey Glagolev said on Monday at a session of the WHO Executive Board in Geneva.

"Russia is committed to the principle of equal cooperation in the field of global health as a necessary element of the protection and provision of human rights, and we regret to note the unwillingness of some countries to engage in constructive dialogue at the WHO," the deputy minister said.

Glagolev recalled that "in particular, in December 2022, one day before the beginning, the WHO technical seminar on the detection of substandard and adulterated medical products was called off." This happened "due to the objection of the representative of Ukraine to the presentation of the Russian expert." Recently, there was also "a refusal by the WHO Collaborating Centre located in the US and the UK to provide the Russian scientific institute with a reference sample of the influenza virus, which is a direct violation of the terms of reference and established regulations of the Collaborating Centres Network". The health official also drew attention to the fact that "WHO's reporting on some projects related to the preparedness of countries for emergency situations is limited for verification."

In this regard, Moscow expects the WHO "to maintain the constructive nature of its work, taking into account the universally accepted UN principles of neutrality and impartiality". "The politicization of the WHO agenda in the interests of individual states, including the formation of a global health structure, will lead to greater inequality in access to health care and worsen the situation of developing states," the deputy minister stated.

"The global health architecture must be built on the principles of transparency, openness, equity and intergovernmental dialogue, which is already underway in the negotiations on the WHO draft international instrument on pandemic prevention and strengthening the International Health Regulations," Glagolev noted. Russia proceeds from the fact that the development of these documents "should be approached without mistakes and haste." "We expect that the tool under development will supplement the International Health Regulations and contain practically oriented algorithms of actions", Russia's Deputy Health Minister concluded.

The 152nd session of the WHO Executive Board, which kicked off on Monday in Geneva, will discuss current issues of the organization's activity till February 7. The agenda includes strengthening of emergency response preparedness, the reform of the WHO and the discussion of the WHO budget for 2024-2025. The WHO Executive Board includes representatives from 34 countries, including Russia.