welcome back here with r.t. a look at the top stories international powers are heading for talks in geneva desperately seeking a plan to and still is watching turkey and reportedly saudi arabia are mobilizing forces towards the syrian border. join us on board they would or embassy in london until a decision on his asylum request declining to comply with a demand from british police to surrender for extradition to sweden. and german chancellor angela merkel the fans are home the deal to help struggling banks but there is skepticism that a measure will solve the blocks or problems that arise. dexterity talks to the

chairperson of the board of you know about the implications of the world body's recognition of palestine as a member state spotlight is coming up your way and just the seconds. hello again a welcome to the interview show on our team. today my guest on the program. st petersburg started. the you know. the controversy of the meeting is all about the palestinians to put their.

feet on to the first thing just the world heritage list last year you know asco recognized palestine as a member state provoking fieri and israel and the u.s. so now this is going to make the tension and what are the chances of the church. and also apart from the controversy what is the u.n. cultural body preparing for. the executive. the executive board of unesco is in charge of the organization's program of work since two thousand and nine it has been headed by the russian ambassador and delegate to unesco. ms mitchell has been a politician and diplomat for more than two decades just been a member of the russian parliament in the mid ninety's and was first deputy foreign minister in two thousand and three and two thousand and four regionally joined

unesco in two thousand and one as assistant director general returned three years ago. welcome whether or not it is shall first of all russia is currently presiding in the scale world heritage committee so what issues are you. primarily interested in what one of the issues of primary importance to you as the sharpest of the coming. thank you very much for this question first of all this year is the fortieth anniversary of this convention and it's great warner for the country to receive such. a such. event in the country and it's the first time when the russian federation receives. heritage committee. as a chairperson and the country who receives the main point is to organize properly

it's the first task of the country and for me like. chairperson it's very important to be within this kid you all and give the possibility to our guests to see the beauty saw some pictures. speaking of st petersburg the international youth forum which has become already an annual event was held prior to the you know school world heritage committee session in st petersburg the main theme of this you thought of was i quote water and world heritage white water what soon portland about water in the context of what you do. you know yes it's true we have to use events this year in one in a novelty for four to four months of this committee first we have in.

in the south of russia in luck so-called. laxey so it's small. our than one thousand five hundred children participate in this event why water no first of all their walled heritage in any case is connected with the nature and heritage and nature of heritage covers of course the water sources etc etc but we speak when we speak about first of all we speak about the beauty is standing universal value of. the. site so i don't know about what they're speaking but we will do falls in the opening ceremony over the world heritage committee we will receive. the children from that camp which who will denounce three their conclusions

and the second form what is the use for all which will be in. it's students who are involved in the walled heritage problems. representative of the members of the committee the country's members of the committee so it will be children and not children students from fifteen countries. well. let's speak about your form of the world have a forum in st petersburg what are the questions on the agenda this year what do you consider the most important issue and i would say that. in any committee. the most important issue is the revising or money during the state of conservation of the sights of world heritage sites nature and cultural. their vision of the world heritage in the injure so these questions

will be discussed very sorry. there are new nominations it's very important part of a new york committee. and of course it will be the first committee after the improvement of the new strategy for the future and it will be discussed too so it's their main points well will be i mean the forum would be another. round in your tug of war with the united states because as far as we remember when you when you recognized the palestinian state as a member of the organization the united states imposed environment a financial or a financial boycott to the body has been very difficult since. yes it's really very difficult because united states not only not be for the spirit and

the current period but they didn't people the past and when these will remember yes and they still remember four of the mission of palestine in. so this they were going ization a very difficult situation yes now we have. now the polystyrene is member state and palestine's member of this convention. and they proposed for emergency inscription the church of nativity in. yes it will be a very difficult question because they devise everybody's. say recommended not to inscribe on urgently you know. procedure. as they propose to inscribe in normal procedure making the whole dicier for this

country inviting international experts to help them etc but defacto police insist to inscribe this church and it's very difficult to say what it will be. first of all the opinion of the majority of member states in general because majority of member states. support by listing. like try to help them but of course a proper time for emergency inscription because we hold that united states need to be in a school and after the presidential election somehow they will you know returned. will will start to pay so is it true that the resources that used to liking when americans are used as boycott the

are impossible to compensate so you know as camino survived with. or without the yeah i you know survive it's possible of course how you come back to you cutting your program says that it's impossible to compensate the man eagle telling the prince yes absolutely you're got your activity but compensation money you know it's intergovernmental body it's not charity or some other fund which you can call. other members are not ready to pay you to pay the money for you know for to split it on the others that they do when it is ill for americans. in the end. so for this period if they would not decide to be so it will be dilemma to leave their organization to be ok well this is. the church of nativity which which. the palestinians want to include put on the list the world

heritage is it endangered is there is this something that endangers this church that needs the. emergency situation but i mean there are a couple of years and it looks fine. like experts say yes it is not in good shape but not exist the emergency situation for inscription and essentially is that we all understand that first of all. i would say political step for more really seeing and to state that it's our property. knowing the steps of israel concerning the settlements. that's why from this point if you were understand their intention to be inscribed on urgency emergency scription like experts and we can apply only on their opinion we are not the experts so that it is not an emergency that it is outstanding universal value.

as the most important correct area for inscription in the world heritage list but. not a matter of fact that it is so bad shape that it can collapse which means that for you it is going to be a political decision so if you will put it originally on this list you will admit that this land this territory is palestinian and the church alongst of the palestinians is not right what i would say that. dick west that they fear is not under o'donoghue nobody including he's written here but. yes. it will be like this like you know like you said you're not i mean for the fun of us speaking to us on spotlight we'll be back shortly after

a break so stay with us we'll continue this interview in less than a minute. on the money with the business of russia. plinth. full started here before going global and now it's pulling fire. log in.

to. take a look at. choose your place to ensure still. needs to. make your statement. spread the word plug strickland.

welcome back to spotlight i am now going of in just a reminder that my guest on the show today is. making fun of the ambassador at large and chairperson of the world you know school world heritage committee. eleonore we've talked about the possible political consequences on. the show each of native e.g. to the nascar list of world heritage list but let's speak about about legal consequences well what basically. changes for for

a site for a cultural site or a natural site when it appears on this list what happens how. first of all it's great for the country to inscribe it means that international society is that this site is very for the whole world that it has outstanding universal value will the whole planet and it increases the moral value the sentimental example. the second that it's open for you. the international expertise yes and then. these sites will be all the time supervised by the international society. in person by world community and any step for i don't know for new. construction or new mining for it has to be first discussed there

and they have to propose ways to avoid the damage for this is a very sizable that was it almost impossible to move. can you tell us what other needs prominent sites historic cultural or natural will be added to this list soon what's under consideration. no i would say first of all about russian scientists and their lean appeal or what they see unique. very interesting. object of sight. leena of people like the river lea rewrite the river leads it's like pillars we stay along the. you know remember the flow very interesting and we hope that it will be inscribed because it is really outstanding conversion it belongs to the misery.

of. those problems only great great british story he has with the many. many signs of difference pieces and old species so it's very interesting and the other is first syrian on the nation which is not easy of course it is criminal in russian criminal. we mean and this. and scoff like this is your elimination like a symbol of this state dime symbol of power in moscow kremlin is already on the yes and. kremlin some pictures have been inscribed first after the. admission or education of the can as the center you mentioned st petersburg the center they started center in st petersburg which actually hosted the world

heritage committee is on the list right how does the unesco reach the state of the architecture and the state of the preservation of the historical center of st petersburg you know it's not not is a question it's the biggest site of the world. really yes. the role is for example a center of rome it's much. much smaller company called back to which have been inscribed for example perry since scribed only. you know. sin sin there are the settlers. yes yes and all these you know buildings. in the center of the c.d.c. and this why you know the bitter will have big difficulties for the development i

mean who not only knew constructions but you know increasing can assess it's in the electricity and water and never know it's necessary to develop the infrastructure but it's not easy and it's needs very very big wark and that's why. you know and in general the problem between conservation and development exists in all science really yes you're feeling even being a russian citizen you're feeling our mix to would turn towards the state of this city right well good you should be concerned that means a well what was the rome of unesco in saving the city and saying saving the city of st peter's which i love from the erection of this controversial gazprom tower. no i know that you do yes yes of course unesco played a big role in this you know that the center must not erected there. there is a crucial role. and but i would say not only

a horse unesco but civil society too in russia may give all of civil society and because the people of st peter's the people of st petersburg they're different for example from muscovites they show much more love much more affection and attention to their own city than the most common is do they really like it they really can but you you know because it's something example of architectural. genius because it was constructed and thanked all from the beginning. in corazon in the middle of nowhere. because it goes from zero concern is not like a horse going to all scrambling and. you know stone cranley and then nearby there are other you know settlements and center and said no but some picture

we're most concerned with me wrong and yes you know like like brazil like i'm very very handsome and believe that there was two hundred three hundred years ago. ok listen what what's your opinion how efficient in general is the russian government in preserving the natural heritage in this country yes you know i. not easy for me to say it in general because. we care for a lot of nature of heritage but in the least. in the early stuff you know score. is ninety and nine sites nature on sites. it's not is a question from one side to yes we have very street legislation. it's in russia yes in russia we have very strict with your station concerning the parks and all this and what is very important with nature of heretics may be and was

cultural to involvement of local people because in their environment they have first of all to defend. so from the point of view of legislation what press took it to make government a normative you know it is very strict and proper in how we development development in reality on the earth it's maybe another story but maybe not in all in all parts of farm country proper education to all these but it depends on local people and that's why this year and the most important topic of these forty seven of us are is heritage and local society well the reason i am asking this question is because because because russia is getting ready to hold the olympic games in sochi and the western carcasses is one of the few

russian world natural heritage sites so the environmentalist the local people who we were just talking about they were very very much concerned about the construction inside she and around and there was lots of fuss. there were scandals in the press and on the ground but today it seems to be more or less quiet does it mean that the problems are so that everything will be keen are you personally happy with what's going on in such a problem of sorts you know problem it's the same development and conservation and keeping in peace you know these western caucuses you know part. exists this problem exists in all the countries. i would say that the construction of the reserve will give big impulse to that region for development

effort. yes it was some programs with some roads but it was a little bit took every for away from the property so it seems to me that our government finally finally press attention what what what what heritage says what what one character and his stance the same it was so with by col if you remember about the you know that famous tube you know anybody alien right now who has to be near here lake and it was decided forty kilometers. away from michael so somehow. it seems to me our government more and more understands what does it mean walled nation called to work with these instruments well speaking not only the russian government but in general and governments around the world does you know sco have any means of pressure upon the governments which

neglect their duties towards the world and it just means yes unesco course has first of all it is the least in danger which of course i would say it's not punishment. but it is even even if it is more it's possibility for the country to its legs i specially still ask for international assistance. program exist in africa only lomas. this problem exists in some other places. other other possibility it is. the east of of this site from whom will carry that she's on this is of course bad and i would say signal. and. you know it's very bad for prestige on this state let's hope it works thank you thank you very much for being with us and just

to remind that my guest on the show today was eleonora fund chairperson of the you know sco world heritage committee and that's so for now from all of us here spotlight will be back with more firsthand comments on what's going on in and outside russia until then stay on r.t. and take care. thank. you for the. science technology innovation all the latest developments from around russia we've got the future covered.

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