Cairo Asks UNESCO Not to ‘Politicize Discussions’

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his meeting with the President of the Executive Board of UNESCO. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his meeting with the President of the Executive Board of UNESCO. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
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Cairo Asks UNESCO Not to ‘Politicize Discussions’

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his meeting with the President of the Executive Board of UNESCO. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his meeting with the President of the Executive Board of UNESCO. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Egypt has urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to abstain from “politicizing discussions” at its headquarters.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Monday with Tamara Rastovac, President of the Executive Board of UNESCO.

The organization should adopt its decisions based on consensus, following broad consultation, according to the Minister.

Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry called on UNESCO to focus on its “main tasks in the areas of education, science and culture”.

The meeting also discussed ways to strengthen the role of UNESCO in supporting the requests of member states to restore their stolen cultural heritage and property, said Abu Zeid.

For her part, Rastovac stressed her keenness to work through consensus and the participation of all members in formulating the stances of the organization away from political polarization, to ensure the implementation of its developmental and cultural goals.

Egypt has raised this topic several times. In 2018, Cairo warned, in its speech during the 204th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, against the consequences of continuing to politicize the organization and involving it in political issues.

Cairo had said that the organization has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of member states.



Explosion in Syria's Idlib Kills Civilians, Al Ekhbariah TV Reports

File photo: Smoke plume billows following Syrian regime air strike on residential district of Maaret al-Numan in northwestern Idlib province last week. (AFP)
File photo: Smoke plume billows following Syrian regime air strike on residential district of Maaret al-Numan in northwestern Idlib province last week. (AFP)
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Explosion in Syria's Idlib Kills Civilians, Al Ekhbariah TV Reports

File photo: Smoke plume billows following Syrian regime air strike on residential district of Maaret al-Numan in northwestern Idlib province last week. (AFP)
File photo: Smoke plume billows following Syrian regime air strike on residential district of Maaret al-Numan in northwestern Idlib province last week. (AFP)

An explosion rocked the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Thursday, state-run Al Ekhbariya TV reported, and an unspecified number of people were killed or injured, the local emergency operations department said.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known, the TV report said.