Print version Email to a friend

Russia to promote its own Syria resolution at U.N.

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:27 GMT

Source: reuters // Reuters

* Russia signals Western-Arab plan supporting end to Assad's rule a tough sell

* Does not rule out compromise or veto of rival draft resolution (Adds details, context)

By Alexei Anishchuk

MOSCOW, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it would continue to promote its own draft resolution on Syria in the U.N. Security Council, staking out a tough position ahead of talks on a Western-Arab draft that calls for President Bashar al-Assad to cede power.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich ruled out neither a compromise on the rival Security Council resolution aimed to end almost a year of bloodshed in Syria nor a veto from Russia, which has refused to join calls for Assad's resignation.

His remarks indicated Russia is wary of the Western-backed draft, which supports an Arab League plan for a political transition in which Assad would cede power.

Western diplomats have said it could be put to a vote as early as next week.

"Russia introduced its own draft and worked on it taking into account amendments (suggested) by our Western colleagues. It remains on the negotiating table. Consultations on the draft continue and we hope this work will continue," Lukashevich said.

"I have no definite information that the ... Western draft will be introduced in the coming days -- we'll see," he told a weekly briefing.

"For now ... Russia has its own draft and will actively promote it within the framework of the Security Council."

Russia joined China in October in vetoing a European-drafted Security Council resolution condemning Assad's government for a crackdown the United Nations says has killed more than 5,000 people.

Russia has warned it would use its veto to block any draft resolution supporting any form of military intervention in Syria and has emphasised its opposition to sanctions.

The new Western-Arab draft resolution calls for neither military action nor sanctions, leaving Russia's response in question.

Moscow introduced its own draft resolution in December, but Western diplomats said they could not accept Russian wording assigning blame to government and opposition for the violence.

Russia circulated a new version earlier this month, but it was an amalgam of rival wording proposals that Western diplomats said left it unclear whether Russia would support tougher language. Some aired suspicions that the Russian draft was a ploy to play for time, and little progress was made in talks.

When Lukashevich said Russia had altered its draft to take into account amendments proposed by the West, he appeared to be referring to the changes Russia made before circulating the new version in mid-January, not to any new changes made more recently. (Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Thomas Grove)