Blanar Meets UNESCO's Director General Khaled El-Enany in Bratislava

Bratislava, 25 November (TASR) - Strengthening the engagement within UNESCO is one of the priorities of Slovakia's foreign policy, Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) said on Monday in Bratislava where he met the newly elected UNESCO's Director General Khaled El-Enany on his very first foreign bilateral visit after assuming office, TASR reported on the same day. "UNESCO is a unique space for conducting open dialogue, allowing to jointly search for rules in areas that are important for the development of every country," stated Blanar. Slovakia is currently a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2023-2027 term, which Blanar described as proof of Slovakia's strong expert background within the organisation. According to him, Slovakia is a staunch supporter of the multilateral system, seeking to achieve a fairer geographical representation of member states within the structures of the UNESCO Secretariat. "For a smaller country like us, international structures, including UNESCO, are the foundation of effective international cooperation," he stressed. Blanar noted that El-Enany took office during a period when the international system is exposed to increasing geopolitical and financial pressures. "It's exactly in such times that we feel the need for more intensive cooperation and an active approach to addressing challenges," said Blanar. El-Enany highlighted UNESCO's importance and outlined the priorities and challenges of his tenure. "Today, UNESCO is needed more than ever before. All around us we see conflicts, disinformation, technological and scientific disparities, growing inequalities, and hate speech. UNESCO has defended peace for decades and will continue to do so in these very challenging times and difficult multilateral environment," said El-Enany. During his visit, a meeting was also held with members of the Slovak Commission for UNESCO to discuss its priorities and activities as the government's advisory body responsible for promoting the UNESCO programmes and brand at the national level. jrg