VIENNA (Sputnik) — The deputy foreign minister added that Russia had always been a firm supporter of the United Nations and would continue to work in its organizations and agencies to promote peace and development.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a trusted partner of Moscow and its relations with Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have a long history, Gatilov stated.
"First of all, UNIDO is our time-tested and reliable partner in the provision of technical assistance to our partners in different regions across the world, first of all in the CIS countries. A significant work to restore the industrial potential of these states, which has been lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is ongoing."
He added that the Soviet Union had stood at the origins of UNIDO and had always supported the organization and its activities across the globe.
UNIDO, an autonomous body within the United Nations, was established in 1966 with an ambitious goal of promoting and accelerating the industrialization of developing countries.
"We cannot fail to note that countries, which leave UNIDO, affect negatively the whole UN system… If there is something wrong in the work of the organization, we should work together to make UNIDO better and more effective," Gatilov said.
Nine countries have left UNIDO since 1993, with Canada being the first state and Belgium the last one in 2015. The list of states that have left the organization includes the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
UNIDO is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1966 that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.
