UN, November 17. /TASS/. Russia’s UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, on Thursday supported Bolivia’s proposal to return to the previously withdrawn Russian-Chinese resolution on the investigation of chemical attacks in Syria.
Earlier in the day, Russia has vetoed the US-initiated draft resolution of the United Nations Security Council on extending the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Syria. Before the voting, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN said Russia was withdrawing its draft as the Security Council had refused to satisfy Moscow’s request to consider the US draft first. Shortly after, Bolivia suggested returning to the withdrawn Russian-Chinese resolution.
According to Nebenzya, the US resolution was based on a wrong concept. "Nothing was balanced in the US project," he said.
"During the past few weeks, we have been explaining with patience that we cannot consider the proposed concept with due seriousness. It was wrong from the very outset, as it was directed at preserving the systemic drawbacks in the work of JIM and the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission," he said.
He also noted that the countries that supported the US text will bear responsibility for terminating the mandate of the investigative commission, which expires at midnight New York time [8:00 Moscow time].
The Russian diplomat added that the true aim of the US and its partners for putting their version of the resolution to the vote was "to question the role of Russia in the political process of the Syrian settlement." He added that this stance was reflected in the speech by the UK envoy, Matthew Rycroft.
"The UK permanent envoy said there is no place for Russia in the Syrian political process. That’s the true reason behind this dirty story: to question the role of Russia in the political process of the Syrian settlement," Nebenzya said.