Russian Foreign Ministry assesses prospects for normalization of dialogue with UNESCO

Russia hopes to normalize relations with the UNESCO secretariat after the change of its leadership. This was stated to Izvestia by Alexander Alimov, head of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Audrey Azoulay currently holds the post of Director General of UNESCO.

"The current CEO is completing his term of office. A new CEO will be elected in October. We hope that this will be a factor that will contribute to the normalization of cooperation with the secretariat," he said.

The current Director General is doing a lot to interfere with the normal course of cooperation between the Russian Federation and UNESCO.

"It doesn't make her look good, it doesn't make her an adequate leader of an international organization. She violates her prerogatives and even refuses them in some ways," Alexander Alimov added.

According to him, at the moment there are Western lobbies in UNESCO and other international organizations that can mobilize the results of the vote against the Russian Federation, while remaining unpunished.

"Attempts to color the agenda against us on any topic, to Ukrainize it, to politicize sectoral, profile dialogues, even if they relate to issues of science, education, sports, which UNESCO also oversees — all this will continue," he said.

UNESCO suffers from all the shortcomings that the system of international organizations is burdened with today, the diplomat is sure. At the same time, he added that Russia is not going to leave the structure.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Uncultural heritage: Russia accuses UNESCO of politicization and Russophobia