Kiev: Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), arrived on an official visit in Kiev on Monday to discuss pressing issues of culture, education, science and sports with the Ukrainian authorities, Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said.
“As a President Ukraine’s National Commission for UNESCO honored to welcome in Kiev Audrey Azoulay. The visit of UNESCO DG to Ukraine is a huge sign of support for our efforts to protect & restore spheres of culture, education, science, youth, sport & media. These issues are on today’s agenda,” Dzhaparova wrote on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Azoulay is scheduled to visit the Ukrainian city of Odesa, recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, media reported last week.
Kiev submitted the nomination of Odesa’s historic center for the World Heritage List in August 2022, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the submission official in October. In January, UNESCO granted Kiev’s request to include the historic center of the city of Odesa in the List of World Heritage and the World Heritage in Danger List. The measure provided the Ukrainian authorities with the right to apply for international technical and financial support to protect the facility and restore it. Russia condemned the decision as politically biased.