Russia, China veto sanctions against Syria
By Kamila Aliyeva
Russia and China have vetoed a UN resolution to impose sanctions on several Syrian officials and businesses over the alleged use of chemical weapons.
Russia has for the seventh time blocked a Security Council resolution aimed at the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the past five years, protecting its Syrian ally from any diplomatic action. China has also blocked six resolutions on Syria since the beginning of the civil war in 2011 year.
The resolution prepared by Britain, France, and the United States, received nine votes in favor, three votes against - China, Russia, and Bolivia. Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, and Egypt abstained. The resolution would be considered approved if there were no vetoes.
Great Britain is shocked by the fact that Russia for the seventh time in five years has blocked the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution on Syria and surprised that China also opposed the document, said the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the UN, Matthew Rycroft.
Rycroft noted that Russia and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and members of the Chemical Weapons Convention, are fully responsible for taking action against the use and proliferation of chemical weapons.
France also deeply regrets that the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said that France and its partners will continue efforts to combat the use of chemical weapons with impunity.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the sanctions against the Syrian leadership inappropriate, "because it would not help the progress of the talks and only would hurt or undermine confidence in the course of the negotiation process."
Syria has agreed to destroy chemical weapons in 2013, as part of an agreement reached with the participation of Russia and the United States.
The Syrian government has previously denied the use of chemical weapons, but the reports from a UN commission, created at the behest of Security Council diplomats, including Russia, concluded that the Syrian government had dropped devices with toxic chemicals from helicopters on three occasions in 2014 and 2015.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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