UNESCO halts environmental monitoring inspection of Russia's Lake Baikal: Ecology Ministry

UNESCO decided to withdraw its envoy Susanna Kari from the Russian region of Irkutsk, thus, aborting an environmental monitoring mission of the Lake Baikal, a World Heritage Site, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said on Monday.

"The joint monitoring mission of UNESCO and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is canceled. The international expert, who arrived in Irkutsk Region, will leave the region in the coming days. But before leaving, Susanna Kari will nevertheless visit the World Heritage site and discuss the key issues with the Russian delegation. However, these consultations will be held out of mission," the ministry said.

The mission on the assessment of negative environmental repercussions for Lake Baikal was scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 5. It was supposed to submit the inspection results to the 45th UNESCO meeting, scheduled for June 2022 in the Russian city of Kazan.

It comes as Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )