West cannot force Russia to leave UNESCO, diplomat says

KAZAN, December 6. /TASS/. The West will not be able to force Russia to leave UNESCO with its demarches, says Grigory Ordzhonikidze, Secretary of the Russian Commission on UNESCO Affairs and counselor to the Russian Foreign Minister. "No, absolutely. There is not even any such procedure. It is necessary for the Russian Federation to leave the UN first, and only then… And that would be impossible, too," Ordzhonikidze said, answering a question from TASS on the sidelines of the International Forum for the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention in Kazan. Commenting on the idea, proposed by Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Secretary General Andrey Belyaninov, to establish a Eurasian UNESCO, which would create an inventory of cultural and natural landmarks, Ordzhonikidze said that this idea could be implemented. "As an idea, it is, of course, feasible, because similar organizations already exist - the ICESCO, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or the ALECSO [the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization.] What Belyaninov said, it is a thing that could be implemented alright," Ordzhonikidze said. The International Forum for the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention is taking place in Kazan between December 5 and 8. This convention is one of the most efficient and recognized international acts, developed under the UNESCO aegis. For 50 years, the World Heritage List has been created within the convention - a list of outstanding cultural and natural landmarks of universal human value that require special protection. Photo by Artem Geodakyan/TASS Read more