Deputy Minister, President of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO Mariana Betsa is on a working visit to Paris to attend the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board.

On April 8, in her speech at the plenary meeting at the UNESCO Headquarters, the Deputy Minister reminded that 80 years ago UNESCO was founded on the principle of strengthening peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture, while today Russia is neglecting these principles and grossly violating international law with regard to Ukraine.

“Three years of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine have made it clear that this aggression is not only directed against my country and the Ukrainian people – this war of aggression is also directed against all the norms and values that UNESCO protects in accordance with its mandate”, - Mariana Betsa emphasized.

The President of the National Commission particularly thanked UNESCO and the Organization's Member States for their assistance and support in the reconstruction of Ukraine, emphasizing that our country, despite the critical consequences of Russia's war of aggression, remains committed to and actively promotes UNESCO's values.

On April 9, Mariana Betsa met with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and her Assistant for Natural Sciences Lidia Brito, held a briefing with the Group of Friends of Ukraine at UNESCO and a number of bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations of Liberia, France, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Paraguay, the UAE, Pakistan, and Brazil, during which she discussed the priorities of Ukraine's activities at UNESCO, as well as the prospects for bilateral cooperation within international organizations.

The President of the National Commission highlighted the significant expert potential of Ukraine, whose experience in preserving cultural heritage, digitalization of education, support for scientific activities and other areas of UNESCO's mandate in times of war can be invaluable for other countries in emergency situations. The interlocutors reiterated their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian projects within the framework of the Organization. They also highly appreciated Ukraine's contribution to the promotion of UNESCO’s values, initiatives and active participation of our country in the activities of the Organization.