"In recent years, as in other international organizations, our Western colleagues have done everything possible to politicize UNESCO's work and put Ukraine high on its agenda," Lavrov said at the General Meeting of the Russian Commission for UNESCO.
The anti-Russian decisions made by UNESCO's Executive Board regarding Crimea and Ukraine serve as a clear display of the organization's double standards, the top diplomat noted.
Lavrov affirmed Russia's intent to participate in the next UNESCO Executive Board elections, clarifying that its absence from the current cycle was a direct consequence of Western conduct.
"We, of course, will actively participate in UNESCO's work in other formats. We will definitely submit our candidacy for the next elections to the Executive Council. I think that by then much about the West's actions will become clearer and its attempts to brazenly twist the arms of UNESCO member countries in such an utterly shameless manner will not be so convincing," Lavrov said at the General Meeting of the Russian Commission for UNESCO.
Russia welcomes the approach of UNESCO's new Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Lavrov said.
"We welcome the new director-general's commitment to strengthening the role of member countries in managing the organization, ensuring its financial transparency and accountability," Lavrov said at the General Meeting of the Russian Commission for UNESCO.
Russia anticipates that the new UNESCO head will rectify the shortcomings of the previous administration, the foreign minister stated.
"We consider the convincing victory of the representative of Egypt, Khaled El-Enany, in the election of the new director-general to be an encouraging sign. During the election campaign, he spoke in favor of reforming UNESCO, primarily through the depoliticization of its activities," Lavrov added.
The United States still has not paid its multi-million dollar debt to UNESCO after withdrawing from the organization, Russian Foreign Minister also said.
"Financial transparency and accountability are especially important, given that the US withdrew from UNESCO without paying off its debt worth millions, even tens of millions. Significant funds remain in limbo," Lavrov said at the General Meeting of the Russian Commission for UNESCO.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has added Paleolithic art located in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic to its World Heritage List at Moscow's request, Lavrov said.
"The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has added a masterpiece of Paleolithic art located in Bashkortostan, the rock paintings located in the Shulgan-Tash Cave, to its World Heritage List at Russia's initiative," Lavrov said at the General Meeting of the Russian Commission for UNESCO.
Now, the UNESCO World Heritage List includes 34 sites located in Russia, Lavrov added.