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Conflict in Syria

Russian envoy: UN SC resolution has no provisions for special monitoring mission in Aleppo

"The UN staff should have some instruments and that's something to be discussed yet for observing developments there," the Russian ambassador to the UN said.

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. Resolution of the UN Security Council on Syria does not contain a provision for a special monitoring mission in Aleppo, the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin told Rossiya'24 news channel on Wednesday.

"It doesn't stipulate the setting-up of whatever special monitoring mission," he said. "Very simply, the UN staff should have some instruments and that's something to be discussed yet for observing developments there. It could be a very easy operation of regular visiting of some or other eastern districts of Aleppo by the UN personnel."

Intra-Syrian negotiations

UN Secretary General's special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura most obviously coordinated February 8 as a date for the start of intra-Syrian negoatiations with the team of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump, Churkin said.

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"On Monday, Staffan de Mistura, the special envoy for Syria said he planned to covene a new round of talks on February 8," Churkin told Rossiya'24 news channel. "I'm sure he did it only after he had found an opportunity to contact the people on Donald Trump's team and to coordinate the date with them."

"That's quite a good sign because it could be indicative of the ability of the Trump Administration to steer the situation towards a rapid enough unfolding of the political process (in Syria)," Churkin said.

He indicated, however, that the fact of coordination of the date with the Trump team was his personal interpretaion of the event.

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