MOSCOW, September 27 (Itar-Tass) - Restrictions should be toughened on “illicit weapons trafficking” in conflict zones, Alexander Pankin, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told a meeting of the UN Security Council on “small arms and light weapons” (SALW).
“Russia consistently advocates prohibiting transfer of SALWs to non-state agents and unauthorised recipients and users,” Pankin said. “Some countries find it fully justified today to supply weapons to non-state units, rebel movements and groups which try to gain power by force in the name of fighting totalitarian regimes and tyranny,” he said.
"These units are regarded differently depending on the region or the kind of relations with the government of the country in which they act," the diplomat added. "Some groups are considered terrorist or extremist while others are supplied with weapons to carry on a so-called 'fair' struggle. It looks as if there are 'bad' terrorists and extremists, and 'good' ones, which is unacceptable in our opinion,” he said.