Moscow Helsinki Group head criticizes Russia's decision to tell UNICEF to close programs
MOSCOW. Oct 9 (Interfax) - Moscow Helsinki Group head Lyudmila Alexeyeva sees a dangerous trend in the fact that the UN International Children's Fund (UNICEF) will have to close all its projects in Russia, something that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has already done.
The Russian Foreign Ministry informed Interfax earlier on Tuesday that Russia had told UNICEF to gradually phase out its projects by December 31, 2012 in light of "the growing economic and donor potential in Russia."
"These funds have invested money in Russia where our government does not wish to invest, namely in science, education, art, and civil society. Now all this is being closed," Alexeyeva told Interfax on Tuesday.
"Why do these funds work in all countries, even though there are local government and private funds there, and why can it not be so here?" she said.
"I am sure that there is an impracticable intention to lower an iron curtain over this country and isolate it from the rest of the world," she said.
Alexeyeva doubted that the state will continue to finance projects that have received donations from UNICEF.
"Will the money that Russia contributes to UNICEF as a donor be directed to the areas where UNICEF invests in our country? I really doubt this," Alexeyeva said.
One of the projects that UNICEF has pursued through partner NGOs is anti-mine safety programs in the North Caucasus.
USAID stopped its operations in Russia on October 1. The Moscow Helsinki Group, the Memorial human rights organization, and the Golos association specializing in election monitoring received grants from USAID.
