Moscow rejects France's UNSC draft resolution against Syria as inadmissible

Iran Press TV

Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:13AM GMT

Russia has rejected as "inadmissible" a French draft resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC) that blamed the Syrian government for a recent chemical attack in the country before results of a UN probe on the case are released.

Following the development, announced on Tuesday by the Russian foreign ministry, France announced its willingness to amend its resolution while expressing displeasure over Moscow's rejection of its draft resolution, which undermines a still ongoing UN investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons near Syrian capital of Damascus last month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly discussed the resolution in a phone contact on Tuesday with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

"Lavrov noted that France's proposal to accept a Security Council resolution… blaming the Syrian authorities for the possible use of chemical weapons is inadmissible," RIA Novosti reported Wednesday, citing a statement released by Russia's foreign ministry.

In addition to accusing Damascus of launching the alleged chemical attack on August 21, the French proposal at the UNSC called on Syria to give up its chemical weapons or face military action.

According to France's foreign ministry officials, the resolution would further demand those guilty of perpetrating the alleged use of the chemicals to face trial by the International Criminal Court.

Lavrov, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that Moscow will soon present a "workable" plan for placing Syrian chemical weapons under international control, following up on an earlier Russian proposal that has shifted the international debate on a US-led military intervention in Syria.

This is while news reports, citing unnamed sources, indicate that Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry are to meet in Geneva on Thursday.

The rhetoric of war against Syria first gained momentum on August 21, when the militants operating inside the Middle Eastern country and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed that over a thousand people had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

Damascus categorically rejected the accusation.

Nevertheless, a number of Western countries, including the US, France, and the UK, quickly started campaigning for war.

The UN, Iran, Russia, and China have warned against war.

MFB/PR