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Decision to prolong UN mission in Syria depends on compliance

A new decision to prolong the UN mission in Syria will depend on how both Syrian parties comply with the current decision

MOSCOW, July 21 (Itar-Tass) —— A new decision to prolong the UN mission in Syria will depend on how both Syrian parties comply with the current decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary after the UN Security Council prolonged the activity of UN monitors in that country for another thirty days.

“In the context of the high-principled position taken by Russia, China and other countries our Western partners in the UN Security Council have dropped their ultimatum-like approaches linking the prolongation of the mandate of UN observers in Syria with the unilateral demand addressed to the Syrian authorities for ending violence and removing heavy weapons from cities and communities,” the commentary says. “Now this call is addressed to both parties to the Syrian conflict – the government and the armed opposition groups.”

“This has allowed for agreeing a generally acceptable draft of the resolution and making a decision in the UN Security Council to prolong the UN Supervision Mission in Syria for 30 days,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “In two weeks’ time the UN Secretary-General will present a report on the implementation of this resolution. The Security Council will make a decision whether to prolong the UN presence in Syria depending on how the Syrian parties comply with the current one.”

“Specifically, we would like to point to the fact that the resolution contains a call addressed to all parties for ensuring the security of UN personnel. Thereby the UN Security Council approved of Russia’s fundamental approach to prolonging the activity of the UN mission in Syria, which is essential in the current critical situation in the country,” the commentary runs.

For its part the Russian Foreign Ministry said that “the Russian Federation will continue to exert efforts for consolidating the external players on the positions of a political settlement, based on the Kofi Annan plan and the decisions of last June’s ministerial meeting of the Action Group for Syria in Geneva.”

“Such a settlement can be achieved on the basis of international law and observance of the UN Charter without interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.