Among 18 states that currently do not have voting rights in UNESCO because of unpaid dues, nine have not recognized Kosovo. In case they don’t regain the right to vote till 5 November, when will be held the General Conference, we will not be able to count on their support!

President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Gjorgi Ivanov has dismissed the country’s ambassador to France and representative to UNESCO, Agron Baxhaku. It is believed that Baxhaku’s dismissal is connected to the support he expressed for Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO during the meeting of the organization’s Executive Board. Baxhaku’s mandate was set to end in December but President Ivanov decided to move it earlier. Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO will be put to vote this November at the general conference and it is not certain which way will FYROM vote go.

The outcome of voting at the UNESCO General Conference on admitting the so-called "Republic of Kosovo" is difficult to predict, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Alexey Pushkov said yesterday.

Russia and its allies oppose the Kosovo's membership in UNESCO, Pushkov told reporters ahead of the promotion of his book in Serbian language: "Post Scriptum - Can Putin Help Russia".

Former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor fiercely has opposed the campaign for Kosovo's membership to the organization.

Asked by Radio Television of Serbia how he would vote today in UNESCO on Kosovo's membership, Mayor said he would, without any doubt, vote against it.

Mayor pointed out that while he had served as UNESCO Director-General, from 1987 to 1999, he had five times condemned NATO's military campaign in Kosovo.

Former commander of the KFOR French Special Forces, Colonel Jacques Hogard stated that UNSECO should not grant Kosovo's membership because it does not belong there.

UNESCO should not yield to pressures because those who destroyed and burned down property now want to become UNSECO members and Kosovo does not belong there, Hogard told the daily Blic.

The Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo, which belongs to the world also, has to be saved, Hogard said.

"This is the last opportunity, if Kosovo is definitely received into the UNESCO, to sign a written bilateral agreement with Pristina," said Borislav Stefanovic to Danas, the former Serbian negotiator in the technical dialogue with Pristina.

Stefanovic also said that, after the recommendation of the Executive Board of UNESCO, it should be negotiated with Pristina calmly and cool-headed on the regulation of many issues, including the protection of churches and monasteries, property, the position of Serbs in Kosovo.

Decision for sending proposal to the UNESCO General Conference on admission of Kosovo to that organization is expected, said analyst Dusan Janjic in the talk show “Popodne” on RTK2.

Despite the decision of the UNESCO Executive Council to recommend Kosovo's membership to the General Conference, Serbia's Ambassador to UNESCO Darko Tanaskovic estimated Serbia's chances as "not small", to block Kosovo's admission into the UNESCO.

Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery Sava Janjic believes that talks on Kosovo's admission to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, should be postponed, because Kosovo has not demonstrated political maturity. He stressed that proposal of Executive board to admit Kosovo in UNESCO is the result of political decisions.

UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia Irena Vojackova-Sollorano said that the decision on Kosovo's entry into UNESCO would be on governments of member states and the UN to create conditions for free dialogue.

"The UN creates a place and a platform for dialogue, and then it is up to the Governments to discuss and decide how they want to continue, of course with respect for the culture," said Vojackova-Sollorano on the Radio Television of Serbia.