Geneva - Saba:
Moscow will not withdraw from the World Health Organization and will continue to use this platform for dialogue, the Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva said Sunday.
"As for Russia, our country will continue to use the WHO platform for mutually beneficial dialogue with all interested countries," Gennady Gatilov added, according to Sputnik, noting that Russia's approach is consistent and directed towards supporting the UN system.
"Our commitment to genuine multilateralism based on equal partnership is a consistent approach to supporting the UN system as the basis of the modern world order," Gatilov said.
Regarding the US withdrawal from the organization, he said: "I doubt that the withdrawal from the WHO will allow the Donald Trump administration to better deal with the numerous health problems facing the United States, rather, I think the opposite is true."
He added that the refusal to engage in professional, non-political interaction at the expert level is not beneficial to anyone, "including (and perhaps above all) the United States itself."
Gatilov stated that modern challenges, especially in the field of health protection, are global in nature and can be effectively addressed only through joint cooperation.
He explained that the relevant multilateral efforts must be coordinated and targeted, revealing a special responsibility that falls on the shoulders of the World Health Organization, which its constitution grants the function of guiding and coordinating authority on international health work. He stressed that this is a decision of the international community, and cannot be modified to suit the short-term interests of individual countries, including the United States.
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