YouSaid · the spoken record

Churkin

lines on the record: 3,923
first: 2006-05-16
most recent: 2017-02-02
sittings or episodes: 536
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Bernadino Leon, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, regarding the prospects of the work being done on a political agreement, there are many reasons for concern. The longer the State continues its collapse, the more that will be exploited by terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). They continue to expand their presence on Libyan soil. We had a detailed discussion of Yemen, where violent clashes continue and the humanitarian situation is worsening. Civilians are dying almost daily. Yesterday it was reported that a single air strike killed at least 13 people. There is currently no light visible at the end of that tunnel.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“In August we have traditionally tried to tackle the still unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which continues to pose risks of increasing tension and radicalization. The uncertainty of the situation around the Gaza Strip compounds the continued absence of intra-Palestinian unity. Unfortunately, the situation in Libya also remains extremely problematic. The gross violations by some Council members of the Security Council resolutions on Libya adopted in 2011 continue to result in serious damage with new and tragic effects. One such is the recent wave ofillegal immigrants attempting to flee the chaos of Libya for the shores of Europe. Despite the cautious optimism expressed last week (see S/PV.7512) by Mr.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We would like to thank you, Madam President, and the entire Nigerian delegation, for your capable leadership of the Security Council in August, and we would also like to express our appreciation for the work of the New Zealand presidency in July. We would also like to join the rest in offering our condolences for the sudden death of the Brazilian peacemaker. We have done a pretty good job this month. We gave a great deal of attention to the Middle East and North Africa. Sadly, the state of affairs there leaves much to be desired. The region is unstable, there are bloody conflicts everywhere and the prospects for solving them are dim.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“We are convinced that Damascus, as it has done in the past - as repeatedly confirmed in the documents of the OPCW and the United Nations - will extend the necessary assistance to the Joint Investigative Mechanism and the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to establish evidence of potential use of chlorine as a chemical weapon. We expect the opposition to adopt that approach. In conclusion, I wish to emphasize that any effort in the Syrian issue must be in line with the logic of assisting the search for a political solution to the conflict and should not further antagonize the parties. The priorities continue to include the fight against terrorism and in finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria.”
2015-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7501 (2015) · source
“We believe that the Mechanism will work impartially, objectively and professionally, as guaranteed by the successful experience of the Secretary-General and the OPCW Director-General in destroying Syria's chemical arsenal, as well as the successful cooperation of the United Nations and the OPCW in the framework of their joint mission, within which their responsibilities had been clearly delineated. We believe that this principle should guide the further work of the Joint Investigative Mechanism. Taking into account the complex political and military situation in Syria, we believe that it will be extremely important for the Joint Investigative Mechanism to develop appropriate relationships within the country, without which the Mechanism will be unable to work in the field.”
2015-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7501 (2015) · source
“The Russian Federation decisively condemns such acts. We believe that they are unacceptable and run counter to the Chemical Weapons Convention. At the same time, the question ofwho used chlorine remains unanswered, partly because the existing mechanisms of the United Nations and the OPCW are not mandated to identify those participating in such acts. Moreover, we have heard many politicized statements in that regard, which have clearly been meant as propaganda. It was necessary to close that gap, as was done with the adoption of resolution 2235 (2015) today, creating the preconditions for the launch of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the OPCW. We believe that today's decision is above all preventive, and lays the foundations for ending any use of toxic chemicals as weapons in Syria.”
2015-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7501 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The effective implementation of the decisions ofthe Security Council and its resolution 2118 (2013), on the destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal - adopted at the initiative of Russia and the United States of America - is one of the Council's most significant successes and reaffirms the possibility of engaging in productive joint work on the most urgent problems of our time. Against that backdrop, the Council could not ignore reports of the alleged use in Syria of toxic chemicals as chemical weapons. In the spring of 2014, under the auspices of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Fact- Finding Mission in Syria began its work, which, with a great deal of certainty, confirmed the use of chlorine as a weapon in several populated areas of Syria.”
2015-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7501 (2015) · source
“Russia is ready to resume this work at expert, diplomatic and any other levels. Let us therefore move forward from tomorrow- on in this effort.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Why did it do this? Why has it thus far not provided the recordings of its military air dispatchers? That is impunity. Did they punish anyone in Ukraine for that? Finally, the tragedy concerning Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 is a terrible event - not only for the citizens who died in that castrophe and the countries that they represented, but also for the diplomats who now are forced to deal with it. It is also a trial for the concerned politicians, experts and specialists who continue to work on this issue together. We need to walk hand-in-hand down on this road. Unfortunately, today's meeting is most unlikely to promote joint movement towards the final objective, that is, to shed light on all of the circumstances surrounding this tragedy and to bring those responsible for it to justice.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Among them are simpler ones that are more effective, more appropriate and certainly less politicized; these are the ones on which we should focus. In his statement, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Klimkin, attempted to speak from a moral and religious position of superiority. He referred to the unacceptability of impunity and the need to cooperate. I have only two questions for him: why were civilian airliners sent to areas where military activities were under way, areas where the Ukrainian forces were fighting using military aircraft? Why were civilian flights sent through that airspace? The passengers on that airliner simply could not have known that a military conflict was under way there. Even Malaysian aviation authorities could not have known that a military conflict was under way there. But Kyiv knew it.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I shall be very brief. Today's meeting was a very emotional one, which is understandable. At times it gave rise to the question: are there any limits to the political exploitation of the feelings of the families of those who perished and who are experiencing a living horror? A number of accusations were levelled at the Russian Federation that I consider insulting and not worthy of diplomats. Turning now to the substance of the issues, we made our arguments in our statement. I will touch on only one issue, on the outcome of the discussions. It is simply incomprehensible that a lack of understanding of one form of judicial proceedings is being equated with impunity. We made, and reaffirm, a proposal to consider various formats for judicial proceedings.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“In our View, this points to the fact that political aims were more important to them than practical objectives. This is regrettable. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that Russia is ready to cooperate in the conduct of a full, independent and impartial investigation into the causes and circumstances of the crash of the Malaysian airliner, based on the provisions of resolution 2166 (2014) in order to identify and punish the perpetrators. The position that we have adopted today has nothing in common with promoting impunity.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“The idea of an international tribunal for pirates did not enjoy support in the Security Council, despite the fact that the qualification of the situation as threatening international peace and security was quite clear. Arguments regarding the lack of efficiency, slowness and the unwieldiness of such mechanisms then emerged as the main arguments, especially from those who now support the draft resolution on the Boeing incident. We must therefore note that the draft resolution (S/2015/562) that was put to the vote today lacked any legal basis or precedent. We have repeatedly explained this to our colleagues and urged them to consider alternatives. However, the authors of the draft resolution have refused to act in a spirit of cooperation and put it to a vote, knowing that it would not lead to a positive outcome.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“There was also the incident involving the Iran Air flight shot down over the Strait of Hormuz in 1988 by a missile fired from an American destroyer. National investigations were carried out at the time in Ukraine and in the United States, but no determination was made that a crime had been carried out. However, resolution 616 (1998), adopted following the deadly downing of the Iranian airliner, did not qualify the incident as a threat to international peace and security. Here is another example. In 2010, Russia proposed an initiative to set up a special international tribunal to prosecute pirates. We were prompted to do so by the unprecedented increase in the number of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia. Effective mechanisms for the prosecution of pirates did not exist at the time; those apprehended at sea were often just released.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Well-known exceptions have been made owing to the need to determine those guilty for mass crimes deemed by the international community to be of the most serious nature. However, the experience with the Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Tribunal for Rwanda can hardly be considered positive, given that they were very expensive, that they took a long time to carry out their work, that they were subject to political pressure, et cetera. No precedent in principle exists for the establishment by the Council of international tribunals to bring to justice those responsible for transportation disasters. This is something that has also happened in Russia, of course. In 2001, a Siberia Airlines flight was shot down over the Black Sea by Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“After reaching that goal, we could have revisited the issue legal mechanisms to bring perpetrators to justice. We would like to stress that our draft document remains on table. We believe that its proposals and ideas are still relevant. We have repeatedly stated that we do not support the idea of setting up a tribunal under Chapter VII of the Charter. There are no grounds for it, given that in resolution 2166 (2014) the Security Council did not classify the Boeing tragedy as a threat to international peace and security. It is difficult to explain how this event, which a year ago was not considered to be a threat to international peace and security, now suddenly becomes one. In principle, issues pertaining to organizing a criminal investigation do not fall under the remit of the Security Council.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Also not fulfilled was the instruction to the Secretary-General in that resolution to submit to the Security Council a comprehensive set of options for facilitating United Nations assistance for the investigation. What did we get instead? We got something that was summarily prepared outside the Security Council, without thoughtful consideration of the available options for a criminal investigation: a draft resolution under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. Our position that this was a premature, ill-defined and legally untenable step was not heeded. We have come up with an alternative draft resolution aimed at ensuring that we fully harnessed the potential of resolution 2166 (2014) and to ensure a genuine international, independent and comprehensive investigation.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Can it withstand the pressure of an obvious political put-up job when the causes of the disaster and those responsible are announced in advance? Moreover, such statements are being made by a number of the leaders of States that make up the joint investigation team. The Russian Federation was the only country to point out that resolution 2166 (2014) provides for comprehensive United Nations assistance for the investigation. We offered to consider the creation of the post of a Special Representative of the Secretary- General, which would have helped to ensure a truly international and transparent investigation. However, our proposal was not accepted.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“We have repeatedly offered to provide qualified experts and equipment to carry out complicated work, for example, metallurgical analysis, which would have enabled us, by testing pieces of the wreckage, to determine the type of missile that brought down the plane. All that remains unanswered. Turning to criminal investigations, they are being carried out by members of the joint investigation team in a closed fashion. It was reported that an agreement had been reached by the five countries not to disclose information. Given this case, what grounds are there to be assured of the impartiality of this investigation? Can the investigation stand up to the backdrop of aggressive propaganda from the media?”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Analysis and calculations regarding one version of the catastrophe - that the flight was shot down by a surface-to-air Buk-type missile - were also sent to the Netherlands by experts of the Russian manufacturer Almaz-Antey. To that end, data concerning the technical characteristics of such missiles was declassified. Russia was the only country to make public such data. Unfortunately, a year after the adoption of resolution 2166 (2014), serious issues remain as to how the investigation has been conducted. Russian experts were not provided equal access to the various aspects of the technical investigation. They unilaterally provide their data and calculations, but remain unaware of what then happens to the information.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“It was the Russian Federation that raised in the Security Council the issue of Kyiv's violation of that provision in August, when the Ukrainian authorities unilaterally declared they would no longer adhere to the ceasefire agreement, as a result of which the joint investigation team was forced to suspend its work for a lengthy period. Within the framework of the technical investigation, pursuant to annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Russian experts transferred to the Dutch side all the information requested of us, including data from the Rostov radar station of the air traffic control system. A few days after the crash, the Russian Ministry of Defence held a briefing during which it released all Russian satellite data, which were also sent to the Dutch side.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“In the course of its drafting, we insisted on including provisions with regard to the need for a comprehensive, thorough, independent international investigation under international civil aviation guidelines and with the International Civil Aviation Organization playing a leading role. Moreover, we were fully open to the immediate adoption of another draft resolution that would provide early access to the crash site to the joint investigation team. However, the States concerned chose to act outside the Council and on the basis of bilateral agreements with Ukraine, whose elaboration took additional time. In resolution 2166 (2014), we insisted on the inclusion in the text of provisions concerning the immediate cessation of all military activities in the area directly adjacent to the crash site.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We would like to begin by again extending our condolences to the families of the deceased, as well as to the Governments of the countries whose citizens were on board the flight that crashed in Ukraine on 17 July 2014. Russia has consistently advocated for a swift determination of the reasons for the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-l7 and the bringing to justice of those responsible for the tragedy. Moreover, we have repeatedly contributed to the achievement of those objectives through concrete actions. The Russian delegation did everything in its power to ensure that the Security Council adopted resolution 2166 (2014) as soon as possible.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“This demonstrated that when there is political will, when we are realistic and respect one another's legal interests, we can resolve the most difficult issues. Secondly, we hope that this will help countries in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf refrain from taking destabilizing steps, prevent the region from becoming involved in an arms race, make it possible to jointly seek solutions to security issues, and improve the situation in the wider region.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“The unprecedented increase in the terrorist threat is something that can be explained not only by the financial support of the caliphate and its allies but also by the fact that their fighters are ideologically highly motivated. Ofcourse this problem has many dimensions. But we believe that a key factor in this regard is the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which creates the conditions and arguments for recruiting new people into terrorist entities. Today we can speak about joint actions to combat terrorism in the Middle with a certain amount of optimism. Very recently the world witnessed a major diplomatic achievement: the signing of an agreement on the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear programme, which was supported by a unanimously adopted Security Council resolution.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“We call on all Member States to responsibly implement this approach and to take decisive steps to stop this criminal activity. We commend the recommendations put forward by the Al-Qaida Monitoring Group in this regard. Criminal proceeds are in turn used in the commission of new crimes. Terrorists have already been working on how to synthesize, manufacture and use chemical warfare agents. The danger of this was mentioned by the Russian delegation as early as November 2014, when we proposed that the Security Council adopt a presidential statement on the subject of chemical weapons in the hands of terrorists. News of the development of chemical weapons by ISIL and other terrorist groups in Syria and in Iraq indicates that this trend is on the increase. Perhaps we should go back to the idea we expressed last year.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“We are convinced that we can effectively counter this scourge only if we act together, taking a comprehensive approach that is free of double standards and based on international legality, relying on the prerogatives of the Council. All of the countries of the region must now set aside their differences, which have always existed and probably will remain on certain issues, so that they can ensure that all efforts are geared to fighting the common threat. An important contribution in that respect is the series of Security Council resolutions on counterterrorism. Pride of place should be accorded to resolution 2199 (2015), which is aimed at stopping financial flows to ISIL and Jabhat Al-Nusa, especially those from the oil trade.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“Many countries that up until recently had seemed prosperous are now facing the consequences of these conflicts. Also unprecedented is the scale of terrorism in the region. Terrorist acts resulting in dozens of casualties erupt in one part of a region and then another, reaching all the way to Europe. What can neighbouring countries do if even other continents have to deal with the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters who go to the Middle East? The result of, first, the invasion of Iraq and then the external interference in the conflict in Syria, including flirting with the armed opposition, was the emergence of a new threat, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, which, having firmly established itself in these two countries, has now basically started its march across the planet.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“We are convinced that the international community can shift the situation relating to Palestinian-Israeli affairs and stop the drift towards a one-State reality. This is something that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians want to see. The situation in the Middle East and North Africa is, without exaggeration, catastrophic. The region is in the throes of large-scale bloody conflicts, in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Libya, which fuel one another and create conditions for the overflow of instability into the neighbouring countries in Africa, the Mediterranean and Central Asia. A number of States in the region are on the brink of losing their territorial integrity. There have been migratory flows on an unprecedented scale, with hundreds of thousands of refugees.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“We believe that the measure of their success would be the parties' abandonment of unilateral actions that prejudge the outcome of the final settlement. This concerns first of all the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. We will continue to help to facilitate the resumption of negotiations through bilateral channels and in various international forums, first and foremost through the Middle East Quartet of international mediators. We deem important the intensification of new contacts of special representatives in regional capitals. The United Nations International Meeting in Support of Israeli- Palestinian Peace, held in Moscow in July, was most useful. The Security Council could also play a substantive role in promoting a settlement.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Russia has consistently advocated in favour of the speedy achievement of a just Palestinian-Israeli settlement on the basis of agreed international law, including the implementation of the Madrid principles, the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the Arab Peace Initiative and previously reached agreements. Mutually acceptable agreements are required to ensure the establishment of an independent, contiguous and viable Palestinian State coexisting in peace with all of its neighbours. We believe that this would represent not only the realization of the aspirations ofthe Palestinians but also an excellent guarantee of security for Israel. Negotiations must resume as soon as possible.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“We hope that this invaluable experience of collective efforts, unburdened by ideological geopolitical calculations, will also be used to resolve other crisis situations where, perhaps, success will be secured exclusively through joint work. Russia is ready for this.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“We commend in particular the Governments of Austria and Switzerland, which ensured optimal conditions for guaranteeing the success ofthe negotiations. We would also like to praise the consideration of our friends from Kazakhstan, who organized several rounds of negotiations. Reaching an agreement to resolve the issues surrounding the Iranian nuclear programme demonstrates that where there exists a political will based on realism and respect for legitimate mutual interests, the international community can resolve the most complex tasks. All participants in the negotiations demonstrated their readiness to engage in collective efforts. A reserve of trust has been built up that will be very useful in the course of implementing the agreement.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“We are creating conditions conducive to the establishment in the Middle East of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction and to the search for common approaches among countries of the Middle East to addressing regional security issues and uniting their collective efforts in the fight against the terrorist threat. In a statement following the conclusion of the negotiations, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, underscored that Russia will do all it can to ensure that the Vienna agreements become fully operational in order to promote the strengthening of international and regional security, the global regime of nuclear non-proliferation, and the mobilization of a broad regional coalition to counteract the terrorist threat. We underscore that the work of all the negotiating teams deserve the highest praise.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“Moreover, the Security Council maintains a leading role on issues regarding the implementation of the Plan of Action. During negotiations we knew that the Plan of Action would be subject to Security Council approval, and we therefore gave special attention to ensuring the prerogatives of this organ and respect for the role of all its members, including non-permanent members, in taking decisions that are essential to implementing the agreement. We are grateful to the IAEA for its readiness to assume responsibility for monitoring and verification of Iran's obligations. We hope that the agreement with Iran will help other countries of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf to refrain from destabilizing moves, including in the nuclear sphere, and to ensure that the region does not enter a new arms race.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“This resolution also guarantees lifting the burden of sanctions on Iran in the framework of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action though a clear and transparent mechanism that will be made operational through concrete steps based on confidence in Iran's nuclear programme, including IAEA verification. A reliable filter has been created in the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and resolution 2231 (2015) that will guarantee that all disputes and disagreements that could arise in the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will be subject to collective consideration in the framework of the joint commission, with the participation of the P-5+l, Iran and the European Union.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“The Security Council, and the international community it represents, has supported a clear choice to resolve the situation regarding the Iranian nuclear programme through political and diplomatic means based on international law - first and foremost the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. A choice has been made in favour of mutual respect, stability and cooperation. We are pleased that that decision has been based on a gradual and reciprocal approach, which our country consistently supported throughout all stages of the negotiations. The Council has today confirmed the inalienable right of Iran to develop a peaceful nuclear programme, including to enrich uranium, while also ensuring comprehensive oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Today's resolution 2231 (2015), adopted unanimously in support of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, marks a fundamental shift in the Security Council's consideration of the situation regarding the Iranian nuclear programme, with a view towards resolving the matter once and for all. By creating a new reality, we are not just turning a page but beginning a new chapter in the work of the Council. We expect that all countries will quickly adapt to the new conditions and contribute to the successful implementation of the agreement.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I will heed your call, Sir, to take into account the very special nature of this meeting. I shall therefore refrain from responding to the tirades of the representatives of the United States and the United Kingdomjust now. The meeting rose at 12.1511,Â»”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“Why have the United States and the United Kingdom not suggested that the Security Council adopt a resolution on that topic, in which events could be called by their rightful names? The problem is that the humanism of these delegations can be switched on and off depending on political circumstances, which undermines our trust in their statements and in their actions.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“I do, however, also have a number of questions in that regard that I should like to put to the representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom. We recently marked the fortieth anniversary of the end of the war in Viet Nam. Why did we not hold a Security Council meeting to commemorate that? Why was no draft resolution presented to condemn the carpet- bombing of Hanoi, the use of napalm, or the massacre in My Lai led by Lieutenant Calley, who was pardoned by the President of the United States? We also recently marked the tenth anniversary of the illegal invasion of Iraq by the United States and the United Kingdom, as a result of which over a million people may have perished and the entire region remains in crisis to this very day.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I should like to make two comments, one procedural in nature and the other substantive. The procedural comment is as follows. Today, several representatives have taken the floor twice, once in explanation of vote and once on the substantive issue. We note that, in his first statement, the representative of France did not say a single word in explanation of his vote. We believe that such a statement is inappropriate. On the substance, some delegations - those of the United States and the United Kingdom in particular - criticized Russia's position. They distorted our position, which, I stress, in no way justifies their comments. I would simply suggest that they should have listened to our statement more carefully.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“President, not to put the draft resolution to the vote. Otherwise, we will be forced to vote against it for the reasons I have set out here. If it turns out to be inevitable, our negative vote will not mean that we are indifferent to the suffering of the relatives of the victims of the tragedy at Srebrenica and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We ourselves have been through a lot. In future, we will continue to make the utmost effort to consistently implement the Dayton Peace Agreement and effectively contribute to further normalization of the situation in the Balkan region, including by promoting reconciliation, ensuring that there is a genuine collective security system and promoting an atmosphere of trust and cooperation. We believe that is something all of us need to aim for.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“All perpetrators, regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation, must be punished. Given that there is no consensus on this issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina itself - as the Council is aware, neither in the country's Parliament or among the members of the Presidency - the Council's adoption of this draft resolution in its present form would be completely counterproductive and lead to greater tension in the region. A major commemoration will be held in Srebrenica on 11 July. It is important to note that the Serbian leadership will participate in the event, and it would be wrong for us in the Security Council to prejudge it by adopting a destructive document or by demonstrating that the Council's members are split. We therefore appeal to the authors of the draft resolution and to you, Mr.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“We are convinced that the role of the Security Council should be to strengthen the foundations of international peace and security, rather than undermining them. Everyone must do his own job. Let historians analyse the vicissitudes of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and its genesis, including the role of the various countries and alliances that took hasty decisions. Let experts help the Secretariat and the international community to understand where our weaknesses lay. But let us not immerse the Security Council in historical events, for we already face too many unresolved issues in the contemporary world. Let them do their work. Let them give us the necessary assessments. Let the national and international tribunals render their verdicts. Justice must prevail.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“That reaction is in evidence in the letters addressed to the members of the Security Council and to the Secretary- General by the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the President of the Republika Srpska and the President and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia. We also received similar letters. This issue has been the subject of considerable controversy in Bosnia and Herzegovnia - so much so that we can even talk about the real threat that it could undermine the country's stability, so hard-won through the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. In addition, more broadly, we cannot overlook the attempts to exert political pressure on Banja Luka and Belgrade.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“We proposed an alternative option based on a forward- looking approach; however, our statements were ignored. In addition, the authors of the draft resolution used the anniversary of the tragic events at Srebrenica to introduce certain concepts that have not been agreed at the international level, including intrusive approaches to human rights that could lead to interference in the internal affairs of States. The British draft resolution immediately aroused an extremely painful reaction in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond. The diametrically opposed proposals coming from the various entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina serve to illustrate that the draft resolution before us will not promote peace in the Balkans, but will instead doom the region to tension and make the prospects for sustainable peace ever more remote.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“We said that what we needed to do was to emphasize the positive ground that has been covered and to look to the future. That is exactly what the delegation of the United Kingdom was saying at the beginning when it stated that it was ready to prepare a Security Council draft resolution. However, the implementation of this initiative has taken a different direction. The draft resolution (S/2015/508) submitted by the United Kingdom turned out to be unhelpful, confrontational and politically motivated. It contains distortions as a result of which the blame for the past is basically placed on one people. The approach whereby one responsible party is singled out for a war crime is not legitimate and could result in even greater division within Bosnian society. From the very beginning, we tried to ensure that the document was balanced.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“In the region and the world, we have before us a fundamentally important task, namely, to achieve full peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is why we support the initiative to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement through steps aimed at rallying all peoples of the region in order to ensure that the Balkans can move together towards greater stability, security and inter-ethnic peace. When a delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina first approached us about the need to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy at Srebrenica, we agreed that it should be done in a solemn manner, given the special sensitivity of the issue for people living in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region as a whole.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): In the course of the Balkan crisis, the region witnessed a variety of atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. The Russian Federation has consistently advocated the investigation of all crimes committed during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect to all ethnic groups, including Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. Do we need to ask ourselves the question of who suffered the most? If one looks at overall result of a decade of conflict the territory the former Yugoslavia - when hundreds of thousands of Serbs were driven from their traditional places of residence - it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that they suffered as much as others, if not more.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source