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Russia will block a draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Syria proposed by the West to the UN Security Council if it is put on vote in the current edition, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.
"The way it [the resolution] is drawn up, it is unacceptable to us and there is no doubt we will block it," he replied to an Interfax question.
Russia to submit draft resolution on fighting terrorism in Syria to UN Security Council
Russia will submit a draft resolution on fighting terrorism in Syria to the UN Security Council shortly, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.
"Yes, I think [that will be done] imminently," he replied to an Interfax question whether Russia might submit such draft and when. The document "will above all urge everyone to take the necessary steps and to pool efforts in the deterrence of the terrorist threat coming from the territory of Syria," the diplomat continued.
Multiple terrorist organizations, among them Al Qaeda and affiliated groups, are operating in Syria, Gatilov said. "They create a real threat to the territorial integrity of the country and the region as a whole.
Hence, the terrorist threat is no less serious than the humanitarian situation in Syria," he said. "It is necessary to deal both with the terrorist threat and the humanitarian disaster in a comprehensive manner," he emphasized.
As to how the UN Security Council feels about the Russian initiative and whether Moscow expects support from other Security Council members, Gatilov said, "I think that if our colleagues at the Security Council share our concerns about the danger of terrorism and, in my opinion, they increasingly come to the conclusion that this threat really exists and if they sincerely want to fight it, then it will make sense to pool our efforts in this field.
Syrian aid-crisis rhetoric spun to prepare regime change
The UN Security Council's West-proposed draft resolution paving the way for the creation of humanitarian corridors in Syria is completely one-sided and "divorced from reality", Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov said.
"Indeed, our Western partners in the [UN] Security Council addressed us and offered to work together to draft this resolution. However, the ideas that they shared with us are absolutely one-sided and divorced from fact," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, when answering a question from Interfax.
These ideas also disregarded the measures already being taken to deliver humanitarian supplies and international agencies' assessments of the humanitarian situation in Syria, "placing the blame for the situation in Syria on to the government," the minister said.
"As if there was no evidence that, according to these humanitarian agencies' assessments, the main obstacles to humanitarian aid shipments have been created by militants," Lavrov said.
A situation where militants hampered the passage of humanitarian supplies was observed during a humanitarian operation in the Old City of Homs, as well as during the delivery of aid to Palestinian residents of the besieged refugee camp of Yarmouk, he said.
"But, despite all of the provocations in Homs and Yarmouk, humanitarian aid is being delivered there," Lavrov said.
"If we really want the humanitarian situation to improve, we need to engage in scrupulous day-to-day work both with the government and the opposition in order to end the blockade of localities, primarily those that are currently surrounded and seized by militants," the minister said.
New resolution on Syria ‘too simple decision’ - Lavrov
Adoption of a new resolution on humanitarian situation in Syria is "a too simple decision”, as general accord and talks are needed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with Algerian counterpart Ramtan Lamamra here on Tuesday.
"A new draft resolution on humanitarian situation in Syria proposed by Western partners is far from reality. The crisis is a very serious problem and it should be resolved on principles of international humanitarian law,” the minister noted.
"Instead of seeking for humanitarian solutions patiently every day they (Western partners - Itar-Tass eds) take adoption of a next resolution as a quite simple decision,” the minister said.
It is possible to settle the situation "only on basis of general accord and in talks,” the Russian foreign minister said. "Exactly this provision is fixed in the Geneva communiquй,” the minister recalled. "We should be guided by this, but should not try to change the situation again in favour of one of negotiating parties,” Lavrov said.
Meanwhile, Russia is prepared to consider a new resolution on Syria by the UN Security Council, if it meets principles of international humanitarian law, the Russian foreign minister said.
"We are prepared to consider this kind of text, which will differ slightly from a UN Security Council statement of October 2, 2013,” the minister noted. "But we also believe that the U.N. Security Council should also focus on no less horrible aspect of Syrian crisis - growth of terrorism over ongoing conflict in Syria,” the Russian foreign minister added.
West-proposed UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria is absolutely one-sided - Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that a draft UN Security Council resolution aimed boost aid access to Syria was one-sided and detached from reality, the Interfax news agency reported.
Lavrov said those behind the draft were seeking to mount pressure on Russia and China by discussing their proposal with the media and urged the Security Council to instead ready a resolution condemning "terrorist activity" in Syria, Interfax reported.
Syrian militants totally rely on foreign funding - Russian MP
The chairman of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov, believes that Syrian militants completely rely on their foreign sponsors for money.
"The Syrian militants will endure as long as they keep receiving funding from abroad. They do not have any resources of their own. Their fate depends on their sponsors," Pushkov said on his Twitter page on Tuesday.
Voice of Russia
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