BAKU, November 20. /TASS/. Washington rejected compromises during the work on the resolution on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons- United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at Azerbaijan’s Diplomatic Academy on Monday.
"We sincerely tried to find common ground, but the United States rejected any wording that would somehow cast a shadow on this mechanism," Lavrov said. "But not only a shadow has been cast, in the darkness of mistakes this mechanism is not seen anymore."
Lavrov slammed Washington’s claims about the impossibility to hold consultations with Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya to agree on a draft resolution on investigating Syria’s chemical attacks. "It’s no surprise when such dirty methods are used by high-ranking diplomats," he added.
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"In fact, our US colleagues knew that there would be the veto but they were satisfied," Lavrov said. "As we always use veto when there is the need to defend the truth and justice, and they enjoy this as they can again take advantage accusing us of all deadly sins to support chemical terrorists and so on. They don’t feel sorry for people, who die in chemical attacks," he noted.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism, looking into the chemical weapons attacks in Syria, has been using data provided by non-governmental organizations connected with terrorists, Lavrov said.
"The mechanism personnel behaved shamefully, using data received from NGOs connected with terrorists," the Russian top diplomat said.
Lavrov also pointed to the JIM’s statements saying that it was not safe to travel to the places where the alleged chemical weapons attacks had occurred. "Later it turned out that the United Nations security service had given them permission to visit those places, but they failed to inform us about that and went on lying right to our face," the Russian foreign minister added.
"Under these circumstances, a [US-drafted] resolution on extending the JIM’s mandate for two years was brought forward, while no demands were made that things concerning the mechanism should be put right. It is only natural that we vetoed the document, while a number of other countries did not support it," Lavrov noted.
On Thursday, Russia vetoed the US-drafted UN Security Council resolution on extending the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Syria. The Russian-drafted document, aimed at improving the JIM’s activities, failed to gain the necessary number of votes. At the UN Security Council’s meeting, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley questioned Russia’s initiative to host an all-Syrian conference in Sochi, saying that after Russia had vetoed the US-drafted resolution, the initiative could not be taken seriously.