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Russia regrets UN observer mission in Syria expires - Churkin

The UN observer mission was extended to 30 days on July 20 and is set to expire this Sunday

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

UNITED NATIONS, August 17 (Itar-Tass) — Russia regrets that the UN Supervision Mission in Syria will end after its mandate expires on August 20, Russia’s envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said after the closed consultations at the UN Security Council on Thursday.

It was decided to replace the mission with a liaison office in Damascus to support efforts for a political solution of the conflict.

“We regret that the mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria comes to an end. We believe that those members of the UN Security Council, who insisted on the mission’s termination, demonstrated they lacked adherence to cessation of armed violence and peaceful settlement of the conflict in Syria,” Churkin said.

Along with this he emphasized that Russia was satisfied with the fact that the UN Security Council took into consideration the UN Secretary-General’s recommendations to create a UN liaison office in Damascus.

The UN observer mission was extended to 30 days on July 20 and is set to expire this Sunday.

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