BRUSSELS, May 27. /TASS/. A resolution of the UN Security Council is needed for carrying out a EU military operation in the Mediterranean to combat the smuggling of migrants, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov has told TASS.
"This issue, naturally, concerns Russia, primarily because the naval operation conceived by the EU and launched politically requires endorsement in the form of the UN Security Council resolution, since, in accordance with international law, the use of force is only possible under the UN Charter. The Charter permits the right of states to individual and collective defence and also the use of force for restoring peace under the UN Security Council resolution," he said. "There are grounds for dealing with the problem meticulously, having in mind the recent experience in Libya and in other places. Therefore, it’s necessary to examine all aspects before giving a go-ahead."
"The previously adopted UN Security Council resolution on an anti-piracy operation off Somali coast can be used as a pattern here. Of course, there is a difference: the warships dealt with pirates there, there were no migrants aboard the pirate ships who could be potential victims," Chizhov noted. "As for the destruction of these vessels, a question arises: how can a ship be destroyed, if there are migrants aboard? What kinds of vessels are these? They could be stolen, repurchased or leased from North African fishermen, who don’t have other means of subsistence. And, in general, destroying someone else’s property without a court ruling - all this doesn’t really fit into the norms of a state governed by the rule of law.".