France: United Nations cooperation "highly sought" in today's world - Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the 38th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference in Paris, Friday, stressing the global role and importance of UNESCO. "It is difficult to overestimate the importance of UNESCO, which has proved to be a solid humanitarian base of the global architecture as well as a universally acknowledged forum for maintaining religious and cultural heritage," he stated. Moreover, the top Russian official emphasised that in order to prevent a "bloody and destructive conflict" in the future global powers must act in accordance with the norms and principles of the UN. "It is important that 70 years ago World War II ended, which was the most bloody and destructive conflict in the history of humanity," he said, arguing that in order to "prevent such a tragedy in the future the historical solution was taken to set up the United Nations. In those times the participants of the anti-Hitler coalition managed to surmount ambitions and inconsistencies and to develop compromise in the interests of establishing an international security system which, as President Putin stated in New York, has saved the world from large-scale calamities." He added that the principles and philosophy of cooperation inherent to the UN are "highly sought today as well." The UNESCO conference kicked off on November 3, with representatives from 195 member countries celebrating 70 years since it was first established. UNESCO's budget for 2016-2017 is on the agenda as well as the organisation's activities in protecting cultural heritage. Members of the Executive Board will be elected on November 11.