Thursday, July 12, 2012

Syria: Russia Will Veto Sanction Resolution Against Syria.

Russia says it will veto a US-backed UN draft resolution which calls for more sanctions against Syria, declaring a "red line" against sanctions.
 
"Anything can be negotiated but we do not negotiate this. This is a red line," AFP quoted Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Igor Pankin as saying on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at the Security Council after the world body's first talks on the Syria resolution, Pankin also reiterated Moscow's opposition to any military intervention in Syria.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov also ruled out a resolution to impose sanctions against Syria as “unacceptable” for Moscow. He said the West-proposed draft resolution is unbalanced as it only calls on the Syrian government to fulfill its obligations.

Britain, the United States, France and Germany have been calling for sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. 
The Western-backed British draft envisages non-military sanctions against the Syrian government if the army does not withdraw from crisis-hit regions within 10 days.

However, the proposed resolution would be under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which can be enforced militarily. 
Russia, which has already vetoed two anti-Syria resolutions at the Security Council along with China -- another permanent member of the council -- remains firmly against sanctions on Damascus.

The Security Council has to pass a resolution by July 20 when the 90-day mandate for the nearly 300 UN observers in Syria expires.

A ceasefire deal brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan failed to end rampant violence in Syria and the UN monitors had to suspend their operations in June.

Russia has proposed a resolution to extend the mandate for the UN Supervision Mission in Syria for another three months. 


http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2012/07/12/russia-says-sanction-resolution-against-syria-red-line.html