DONETSK, Ukraine. Oct 19 (Interfax) - Russia will support the Palestinian National Authority's bid for full membership of UNESCO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in answering a question from Interfax.
On October 5, UNESCO's Executive Board approved a recommendation for the PNA to be admitted to UNESCO as a full member. The recommendation, submitted by Arab countries, was approved by 40 of the board's 58 member states.
The United States, Germany, Latvia and Romania voted against, and 14 countries, including France, abstained. Israel is not a board member.
The PNA's membership bid is expected to be put before a UNESCO General Conference session to be held from October 25 to November 10. The PNA would need the support during it of at least two-thirds of UNESCO's 193 member states to become a member of the organization.
The United States has threatened to stop co-financing UNESCO if the PNA becomes a full member. U.S. contributions make up 22% of the organization's budget.
Israel has also warned it will react.