The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN, together with the International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya, has opened a photo exhibition in the organisation's headquarters in New York that shows how Russian doctors and volunteers are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, press secretary of the permanent mission, told reporters.
"Since 18 September, delegates from all UN member states participating in the UN General Assembly have had an opportunity to visit a photo exhibition organised by the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN jointly with the International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya. The exhibition is carried out as part of the 'Please, breathe!' project and is dedicated to the efforts of Russian doctors and volunteers to combat COVID-19", Strzhizhovsky said.
According to the official, the exhibition features the best works of Russian photographers made during the pandemic.
"In addition, the exhibition presents photo materials and information about the world's first coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, developed in our country", Strzhizhovsky said.
"Despite the fact that this year, only the heads of the permanent missions of the participating countries will take part in the opening of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, all of them will be able to appreciate the achievements of domestic medicine and the selfless work of our health professionals", he added.
New York - the site of the UN headquarters - initially found itself at the centre of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. During the worst days of the pandemic, the state saw more than 700 people dying on a daily basis from the virus.
Amid such an epidemiological situation, it became clear that the annual high-level UN General Assembly session in September will not take place in the usual format.