Russian Duma welcomes Palestine's UNESCO membership

The admission of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been an important step for it to become a full member of the United Nations, a senior official of the Russian State Duma said on Monday. "This is undoubtedly an absolutely correct and very positive decision," said deputy chairman of State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky. He hailed this as "another step along the road of international recognition of an independent Palestinian state". The chairman of the committee, Konstantin Kosachev, however, warned that people should not overestimate the consequences of the move. "It (Palestine's UNESCO membership) is nothing more but a stimulus and a signal to the world states to recognize Palestine as an independent state," he said. Palestine's application for UNESCO membership was approved at the 36th session of the organization's General Conference in Paris on Monday. Israel and the United States oppose PNA's bid for full membership in UN as an independent state.