Russian Federation considers that admission of Kosovo in UNESCO would constitute violation of the valid United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, said Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Chepurin. He further said that Russia considers Serbia’s stand legitimate and just and pays a lot of attention to this issue. He also added that Russia will support Serbia in what Belgrade finds necessary for defending its national interests.

Chepurin went on to say that issue of Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO directly affects mandate of the UNSC Resolution 1244 and violates this resolution which was adopted in 1999 by all Security Council members. He also said that addressing the issue of Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO is an effort aimed at politicization of this international organization, and added that in justifying its stand of support to Serbia, Russia starts from the point that, in line with the Resolution 1244, Kosovo is not independent state and that resolution is not abolished and still serves as mandatory legal basis for Kosovo. Chepurin explained that Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO would be violation of Resolution 1244, because Kosovo is administered by the United Nations and can’t be treated as a state, thus it can’t request membership in this international organization.