State Duma deputy chairman calls for Russia's withdrawal from UNESCO

Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy has proposed to consider the issue of Russia's withdrawal from UNESCO due to criticism of the bill, which would allow limited deforestation near Lake Baikal.

“Will we listen to their opinion? Do we need membership in such a politicised organisation? That's the question," Tolstoy wrote in Telegram.

“A UNESCO session will soon begin in Saudi Arabia, where Russia ‘will be scolded for the tourist development of Lake Baikal and Kamchatka’. We should defend our economic and geopolitical interests in such international organisations, rather than support by our participation the opinion of the Western establishment about what Russia can and cannot do,” he added.

The area around Lake Baikal is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and the biggest reservoir of fresh water. Trips to the lake are popular among Russian and foreign tourists.