Diena is outraged by the actions of the World Health Organization, which invited the Russian Federation to participate in the conference in Geneva on November 17. Latvia will send only experts, but not Health Minister H. Abu Meri.
"Latvia's position regarding Russia's participation in WHO events since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has been consistent and clear — we condemn Russian aggression and have actively expressed support for Ukraine, including in the field of healthcare," the ministry stated. They noted that as a member of the WHO, Russia participates in the conference on equal terms with other states. Its delegation has no restrictions on conducting negotiations or coordinating healthcare policy issues with representatives of other states."
Moreover, WHO Director Hans Kluge visited the Russian Federation, where he met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to sources from Ukrainian agencies, cooperation between Russia and the WHO is strengthening this year. China has become the main donor of the organization this year, promising $500 million over five years.
"A similar situation is expected this year: no restrictions are being applied to Russia. Russia has already confirmed its participation as a full member of the conference. The aggressor state will also be able to coordinate its actions with representatives of the European Commission, who... have not been instructed to act otherwise," the newspaper writes.
