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Conflict in Syria

US shows its true colors by rejecting Russian offer on Syria probe — diplomat

"The United States has no need of an independent professional mechanism," Russia's UN envoy said

Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES

Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya

© EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES

UN, January 24. /TASS/. By immediately rejecting Russia’s proposal on setting up a new investigative mechanism to probe chemical incidents in Syria, the United States has shown its true colors, Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya said on Tuesday.

Read also

Russia suggests UN SC set up new mechanism to probe Syria chemical attacks

"The fact that our resolution was immediately rejected, speaks for itself. It once again gives away the truth, which we already know. The United States has no need of an independent professional mechanism," he said.

Nebenzya told the UN Security Council meeting earlier in the day that Russia suggested setting up "a new international investigative body be set up to establish facts on the basis of scrupulous and incontestable evidence received by means of transparent and reliable methods so that the Security Council could identify those responsible for the use of poisonous agents as weapons." In his words, it should be a "professional and de-politicized" mechanism.

During an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Syria, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said her country would reject Russia’s initiative.

French envoy Francois Delattre said, in his turn, that his country "will consider the proposal" in an attempt to overcome the stalemate in discussions on setting up an investigative mechanism to replace the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to probe chemical attacks in Syria. The mission’s mandate expired in late 2017, and was not extended.

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Syrian conflict

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