YouSaid · the spoken record

Lavrov

lines on the record: 2,533
first: 1994-09-23
most recent: 2023-09-20
sittings or episodes: 322
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

“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We associate ourselves with the words of welcome that the members of the Security Council have addressed to you, Sir, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, as you preside over this meeting of the Security Council. The problem of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has been given in recent years a high priority in various forums ranging from international organizations to regional conferences. Russia recognizes the relevance of this subject, one with which we are quite familiar, and not just by hearsay. We understand the concern at the fact that the broad proliferation of small arms and light weapons may represent a threat to regional peace and security.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“A positive role could be played by including a mass-media component in peacekeeping operations to prepare and disseminate information on international humanitarian law and human rights. The other recommendations of the Secretary-General also deserve serious study. Today's broad discussion and the decision which the Security Council will take afterwards should lend additional impetus to international efforts to protect civilians from armed conflicts.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“Ensuring certain punishment for such crimes, on the basis of fairness and without double standards, is the task of the International Criminal Court. Last summer, Russia supported the adoption of the Court's Statute. The problem of protecting civilians in armed conflict requires a comprehensive approach. That is precisely the thrust of the Secretary-General's recommendations in his report on this issue. Many of those recommendations are consonant with Russian initiatives, including on the establishment of humanitarian corridors and on taking humanitarian constraints into consideration in the imposition of sanctions. Also noteworthy is the idea that the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel should be supplemented by a protocol to extend the scope of legal protection to all related personnel.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“Russia, in the United Nations and at the regional level - inter alia, in the context of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - has frequently made important humanitarian proposals. One such proposal was on the need to establish a monitoring system whereby the international community would evaluate and react quickly to any violations of the norms of international humanitarian law. We support efforts to further protect identifiable groups of people, primarily children, during armed conflict. It is very important to ensure national and international criminal prosecution of persons responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“An important role could be played here by the ICRC. In our view, we should also study the question of expanding the functions of the International Fact-Finding Commission, as well as the question of convening, in the framework of the Geneva Conventions, a committee to review countries' implementation of their commitments. This would allow us to mobilize the additional potential of political and international legal resources to protect the victims of armed conflict and to narrow the scope of permissibility in the conduct of warfare. The world community must not tolerate the practice of fomenting armed conflict or the actions of those who deliberately ignore international legal prescriptions to protect civilians and who use violence and terror against civilians and humanitarian personnel.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“There is a contribution to be made, in the context of its task of maintaining international peace and security, by the Security Council of the United Nations. The 12 August marked a half-century since the adoption of the Geneva Conventions on the protection of victims of war. These marked a true milestone in the development of international humanitarian law, the foundation of which was laid 100 years ago by the first Peace Conference at The Hague, convened on the initiative of Russia. Despite the fact that most States are parties to the Geneva Conventions, the gulf between the provisions contained therein and their implementation in times of armed conflict remains, unfortunately, too wide. Paramount is the need to strengthen the monitoring of compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The question of protecting civilians in armed conflict has become increasingly relevant. Despite the international community's efforts, such conflicts continue to bring death and suffering to thousands of people, primarily civilians. A significant number of these are children, women, the elderly and refugees - in other words, particularly vulnerable groups. Personnel providing humanitarian assistance through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other organizations are also falling victim. Of course, the main responsibility for protecting civilians in all circumstances is born by the States and parties to an armed conflict. This must not detract, however, from the importance of international efforts in this area.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“Russia will be prepared, together with other members of the Council, to expeditiously consider additional measures to resolve the East Timor crisis, including in the light of the report of the Security Council mission dispatched to Indonesia.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043 (1999) · source
“We hope that the Government of Indonesia will immediately utilize all the means at its disposal to halt the disturbances in East Timor and to comply with its obligations under the 5 May 1999 Agreements. If the situation develops according to a different scenario and the question arises regarding the dispatch of an international force to East Timor, in Russia's View, this will only be possible if two conditions are met: consent is received from the Indonesian authorities for the acceptance of such a force, and there is endorsement by the Security Council of an appropriate resolution setting forth its mandate.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043 (1999) · source
“We note the constructive role played by the Government of Indonesia in working out these Agreements which put an end to the conflict that lasted 24 years and provided the basis for the popular consultation on the future status of that territory. However, the results of the consultation have caused a sharp escalation in violence by those opposing independence for East Timor. In the view of Russia, assistance should be given to the Government of Indonesia to help restore proper order in East Timor and to carry out the results of the consultation. In these circumstances, efforts should be directed primarily at activating the entire arsenal of political means available to the United Nations to redress the situation. Russia is actively trying to assist in this.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043 (1999) · source
“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation)(spoke in Russian): Today's meeting is in response to the abrupt worsening of the situation in East Timor. The Government of the Russian Federation is seriously concerned at the reports reaching us from there regarding massive upheavals, attacks on peaceful civilians and the United Nations Mission and the murders of completely innocent people. We believe that acts of violence must be immediately halted and that necessary steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the population and of international personnel. Russia, together with the entire international community, welcomed the conclusion of the Agreements of 5 May 1999 between Indonesia and Portugal and between those countries and the United Nations on East Timor.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043 (1999) · source
“I do not believe that there are any differences of opinion about how to resolve this problem. The statement prepared by Malaysia enjoys broad consensus support in the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. It is therefore our view that the task now is not so much how to systemize principles and approaches, but to implement these principles in practice without allowing violations of Security Council resolutions or having to cite such examples as I cited earlier.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“As we have often stressed, arms embargoes with loopholes merely exacerbate military confrontation between conflicting parties and undermine the authority of the Security Council and of the United Nations as a whole. In this sense, it is necessary to draw serious lessons from the negative experience of the Kosovo crisis, where external support for the KLA was provided virtually in the open, in flagrant violation of the decisions of the Security Council. In conclusion, I wish to confirm once again that the Russian Federation, fully aware of its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council, will continue to make an active and practical contribution to United Nations peacekeeping in all its aspects, including the issues before us today.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“The task of disarming and demobilizing participants in armed conflict is indissolubly linked to the problem of the uncontrolled proliferation of small arms and light weapons, particularly in regions of crisis. My colleagues this morning have also referred to this issue. Russia is interested in stepping up efforts to combat the illicit use of conventional weapons, particularly in conflict areas. We support United Nations involvement in efforts to collect and destroy small arms and light weapons when its assistance has been requested and the States involved have given their consent. We must also work to enhance the effectiveness of arms embargo regimes imposed by the Security Council.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“It is clearly mandated to monitor the cantonment of UTO fighters, the collection of weapons, demobilization and reintegration and to provide assistance to the parties in this area. Moreover, the demobilization and reintegration into civilian life of the opposition fighters and the inter-Tajik peace process as a whole require adequate financial and material support from the international community, which, unfortunately, has been quite inadequate to date. We trust that the appeal made in Security Council resolution 1240 (1999) for contributions, including the implementation of proposals for demobilization, and the relevant appeals of the Secretary-General eventually will be heeded by the international community. Otherwise, the peace process in Tajikistan may give rise to serious difficulties.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“As an active participant in the Kosovo settlement and in KFOR, Russia expects a qualitative breakthrough in the demobilizing of the KLA to be achieved very soon. We will be continuing to take the necessary steps in this area, inter alia, in the framework of the Security Council. One further example is Tajikistan. Against the background of the peace process unfolding in that country, particularly egregious is the delayed implementation of the Protocol on military issues of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan, which provides for disarming and dismantling the military units of the opposition. The main responsibility for this, of course, lies with the United Tajik Opposition (UTO). However, the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan could have played a more active role.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“It calls for the genuine disarmament of the KLA fighters and the full dismantling of all the military structures of that organization, which may not be re- established in any form whatsoever. As a first step, it also calls for the halt to all acts of violence by the KLA. Unless this task is performed as quickly and effectively as possible, it will be impossible to stabilize the situation in and around Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or to ensure a strong and lasting settlement of the Kosovo crisis. Unfortunately, the process of demobilizing the KLA is not progressing fast enough, and KFOR contingents from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries are clearly not moving ahead on this very important issue.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“As is well known, and as was just pointed out by Ambassador Greenstock, the main reason for the situation is the failure of the Angolan opposition UNITA to implement its commitments under the peace agreements, primarily as they relate to the demobilization of all its forces. The Security Council could usefully draw the appropriate lesson from the Angola situation by stepping up its search for ways effectively to ensure the full implementation of its resolutions. The issues before us today arise acutely and directly within the context of a settlement of the Kosovo situation. Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) clearly provides for the demobilization of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and other armed groups of Kosovar Albanians. This task was given by the Security Council to the international force for Kosovo, KFOR.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“Otherwise, it will not be possible to establish firm guarantees that conflicts will not be resumed. The Security Council is always aware of the issue of demobilization of regions in crisis, including, when appropriate within peacekeeping operation mandates, provisions on assistance in the process of disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating ex-combatants. At the same time, however, such good decisions are frequently confined to the paper on which they are written and never actually implemented. One does not have to look far for examples. Suffice it to recall some issues regularly considered by the Security Council. One particularly obvious example of the grave consequences of failed efforts to disarm combatants is the collapse of the peace process in Angola.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Mr. President, it is a great pleasure for us to see you, the Foreign Minister of Malaysia, as President of the Security Council as we take up this important item on the initiative of your country. Today's discussion in the Security Council confirms the relevance of the question of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants as an essential, integral part of peacekeeping operations and post-conflict peace-building. The Russian Federation shares the view that, in many cases, the disarmament of ex-combatants and the collection and the destruction of their weapons are important conditions for normalizing regional crisis situations. We agree that the issue before us today requires a comprehensive approach and the coordination of efforts by the international community.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“We are certain that the adoption and ensuing adequate implementation of the draft resolution will make a vital contribution to achieving a peaceful, just and long-term solution to the Kosovo crisis under United Nations auspices. The Russian Federation will continue actively to promote the earliest possible achievement of that goal. The draft resolution has even greater significance, going beyond the framework of the Kosovo problem and the Balkan region. It highlights the urgent need to form a truly multi-polar world order based on the Charter of the United Nations, a world order in which there will be no room for unilateral diktat or attempts at domination by force. Only on such a collective basis can we achieve lasting solutions to the complex problems of today's world.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“The KLA must scrupulously comply with all demands made of it by the Security Council and must cease to exist as a military force. The leadership of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia should, of course, comply fully with the obligations it has entered into. Russia supports and is taking an active part in efforts to find a comprehensive approach to the social and economic reconstruction, stabilization and development of the Balkan region. We are convinced that the effectiveness of those efforts will depend directly on full, constructive involvement by all States of the region, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The United Nations has an important coordinating role to play here.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“This will undoubtedly help enhance their effectiveness. The draft resolution' s reference to Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter relates exclusively to ensuring the safety and security of international personnel and compliance with the provisions of the draft resolution. It does not even hint at the possibility of any use of force beyond the limits of the tasks clearly set out by the Security Council. The demilitarization of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups is of special importance in terms of achieving a lasting and effective political settlement of the Kosovo crisis. The draft resolution clearly defines this as one of the principal duties of the international security presence. This task must be carried out conclusively, with maximal effectiveness and completely.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“In addition to clearly reaffirming the commitment of all States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the draft resolution authorizes the deployment in Kosovo, under United Nations auspices, of international civil and security presences with a clearly formulated, concrete mandate. The activities of both presences are to be carried out under the thorough political control of the Security Council, to which the Secretary-General will regularly submit reports on the course of the entire operation. As a matter of principle, it is important that the obligations of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who is to be appointed in consultation with the Security Council, should include the overall coordination of all international efforts in Kosovo.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“We are pleased that the members of NATO have finally recognized the utter futility of the war they have unleashed and come to understand that there is no alternative to respecting the Charter prerogatives of the Security Council as the body charged with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. This insight, won at such a heavy price, is clearly reflected in the draft resolution, which puts an end to the military actions of NATO and establishes genuine conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“The humanitarian crisis in Kosovo was transformed by the NATO bombing into the most serious humanitarian catastrophe, encompassing not only Kosovo, but all Yugoslavia and the Balkans as a whole. The irreparable harm done to the social and economic development of all Balkan States and to the environment is enormous. We cannot close our eyes to violations of international humanitarian law, wherever they may take place. However, the tragic consequences of the NATO air strikes clearly show that such violations cannot be countered by even greater lawlessness and the wanton use of violence. It is essential to fight for respect of human rights and norms of international humanitarian law, but solely through political and legal methods on the firm basis of the United Nations Charter and the relevant multilateral instruments.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“It is precisely such an approach to a solution of the Kosovo problem that Russia has always and consistently advocated, seeking the earliest possible end to the unlawful military actions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) against Yugoslavia as an absolute condition for a political settlement and for overcoming the humanitarian catastrophe. Russia has strongly condemned the NATO aggression against a sovereign State. This action on the part of the Alliance, which was undertaken in violation of the United Nations Charter and in circumvention of the Security Council, has severely destabilized the entire system of international relations based on the primacy of international law.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Today's draft resolution of the Security Council was prepared by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the G-8 on the basis of the principles for a political settlement and peace plan adopted by the leadership of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as of the relevant provisions of previous Security Council decisions. The draft resolution's main significance lies in the fact that it restores the Kosovo settlement to the political track along with the central role of the United Nations. This is the only possible way to surmount the crisis in and around the Yugoslav province of Kosovo.”
1999-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4011 (1999) · source
“The job of halting sanctions is an acute matter for the Security Council, and we will persist in seeking to resolve it in the context of the deployment in Iraq of a new monitoring disarmament mechanism.”
1999-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4008 (1999) · source
“Out of purely humanitarian considerations, and in a desire to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of at least a minimum of essential goods to Iraq, the Russian delegation does not object to the adoption of the technical draft before us extending resolution 986 (1995). However, we must stress once again that it is only the lifting of sanctions, and not these palliative measures - the traditional extensions of resolution 986 (1995) - that will truly help us to overcome the humanitarian and socio- economic crisis in Iraq. That is precisely the conclusion reached by the panels of Ambassador Amorim and also the conclusion reached by the humanitarian organizations working in Iraq.”
1999-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4008 (1999) · source
“As a result of this illegal use of force, innocent people are dying. The civilian population is suffering, and the oil and industrial infrastructure of Iraq has been damaged. We are particularly concerned at reports of strikes against facilities used in the United Nations humanitarian operation. On 11 May, a number of civilian facilities in the Basra province were struck. These included three trans- shipment warehouses from which food is distributed to Iraq pursuant to the memorandum of understanding. We pay tribute to the staff of the United Nations humanitarian programme in Iraq, who are carrying out important and noble work under difficult conditions.”
1999-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4008 (1999) · source
“The problem of moving funds from the 13 per cent to the 53 per cent Iraqi account has not been resolved within the context of the joint procurement calculation, and there is also an urgent need to review the percentage of funds being moved to the compensation fund. We are aware of all of the flaws of the United Nations humanitarian operation, However, we are agreeing to extend it only because, in these circumstances, it offers some hope of easing, to some extent, the sufferings of the Iraqi people. Against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis, we condemn in particular the continuing aerial bombing of Iraq civilian and military facilities by the United States and the United Kingdom under the illegal pretext of the no-fly zones, which were created unilaterally, in circumvention of the Security Council.”
1999-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4008 (1999) · source
“Mr. Granovsky (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The Russian Federation believes that the problem of the humanitarian crisis in Iraq cannot be resolved as long as the sanctions regime remains in force. Russia firmly supports the lifting of the sanctions in connection with the establishment of a new monitoring mechanism in Iraq, pursuant to the recommendations of Ambassador Amorim's panel. We are determined to continue to work towards that end. With regard to the humanitarian programme, the steps being taken within its framework are barely sufficient to ensure the physical survival of the population. The delivery of spare parts for the rehabilitation of Iraq's oil infrastructure is proceeding very slowly.”
1999-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4008 (1999) · source
“We appeal to the members of NATO to think before it is too late and to immediately halt their military action which has already brought such untold suffering to hundreds of thousands of people, created a humanitarian catastrophe and thrown Europe backwards into the distant past. It is essential to shift immediately to a political settlement, as was stated once again on 7 May by the Secretary-General. This is what Russia has advocated from the very beginning of the crisis in Kosovo. We have advocated a peaceful settlement within the context of the United Nations, and the Russian leadership has been doing all it can to work towards that end. This goal can and must be reached. However, a necessary prerequisite is halting the NATO strikes immediately.”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“We are outraged and demand an immediate investigation. The Security Council cannot let this go without consequences. By now it is clear to everyone that NATO's military adventurism bears absolutely no relation to efforts to protect the civilians in Kosovo and to prevent a humanitarian crisis. In fact, it is quite the contrary: the fate of the Kosovars has become entirely incidental, and the humanitarian banner is being used as a cover for NATO's attempts to destroy the present world order, which is based on respect for international law and for the Charter of the United Nations. This, in fact, is the big picture, not the fact that one single person is responsible for all of this. How many people must be killed, how many people must be left homeless, how many countries must be destabilized in order to punish one single person?”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): In these unconscionable activities in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is exceeding all limits. Every day we hear reports of further civilian casualties and of destruction of civilian structures, social and economic infrastructure and mass-communications facilities in Yugoslavia. All norms of international law are being flouted. On 7 May we witnessed a new tragedy: a NATO strike on the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Some of its personnel were killed. Serious material damage was done to the mission. Russia expresses its deepest condolences to the Government of China and to the families of the victims of the NATO strike. We are outraged by this barbaric action.”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“The capacity of the Security Council to defend the United Nations Charter is key for the future of the United Nations. If the Council cannot do this, then no negotiations or talks about reforming the Council will help. I will not be asking for the floor after the voting. As I have said, law and lawlessness are in the balance today. It is up to the members of the Security Council to make their choice, which they will do at this public meeting, before the eyes of all the members of the international community, in conditions of full transparency.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“15) We do not want to moralize here, but we cannot forget the fact that members of the Security Council bear a special responsibility not only to their peoples but to all Members of the United Nations, upon which decisions of the Council are binding under the Charter. Today's vote is not just on the problem of Kosovo. It goes directly to the authority of the Security Council in the eyes of the world community. Members of the Council cannot ignore the demands that we are now hearing in various parts of the world - made by, among others, the Rio Group, the Council of Defence Ministers of the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and members of the Non-Aligned Movement - to stop the military aggression and to respect international legality.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“A solution of precisely this kind should be urgently sought by the international community if it is really interested in preventing unilateral approaches and the prevalence of force in world affairs. We know that many members of the Security Council are racked with doubts over this vote. What is in the balance now is the question of law and lawlessness. It is a question of either reaffirming the commitment of one's country and people to the basic principles and values of the United Nations Charter, or of tolerating a situation in which gross force dictates realpolitik. Doubts can also been seen on the part of NATO countries. In an editorial dated 25 March, the Financial Times says, "So far, Governments of NATO countries are apparently united on bombing, but their publics and parliaments are not." ("NATO politics", 1).”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“That is a gross violation of the principle of the exclusive sovereignty of a State over the airspace above its territory, which is enshrined in the article 1 of the Chicago Convention. The Security Council cannot and should not remain passive in this situation, which, we are profoundly convinced, runs counter to the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of States. Accordingly, the Russian Federation submitted, together with the Republic of Belarus and India, a draft resolution for the consideration of the Security Council that contains a demand for the immediate cessation of the use of force against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and that calls for an urgent resumption of talks.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“The illegal use of force by NATO not only destabilizes significantly the situation in the Balkans and in Europe as a whole, but it also directly undermines the fundamental bases of the entire modern system of international relations, which is based on the primacy of the United Nations Charter. One's worst fears are now being fulfilled. The virus of lawlessness is spreading to ever more spheres of international relations. The latest example was the ban declared by NATO on any civil aviation flights in the airspace of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Croatia. In undertaking this ban, NATO decided to control the fate of other States.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“Key provisions of the Charter are being violated, in particular Article 2, paragraph 4, which requires all Members of the United Nations to refrain from the threat or use of force in their international relations, including against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State; Article 24, which entrusts the Security Council with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security; Article 53, on the inadmissibility of any enforcement action under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorization of the Security Council; as well as others.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“The aggressive military action unleashed by NATO against a sovereign State without the authorization and in circumvention of the Security Council is a real threat to international peace and security and a gross violation of the United Nations Charter and other basic norms of international law.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“The attempts, repeated today, to justify this lawlessness cannot be taken seriously, just as one cannot take seriously the statements, bordering on blackmail, that those who vote in favour of the draft resolution will place themselves outside of the consensus. To the contrary: those who vote against it will place themselves in a situation of lawlessness. With regard to attempts to distort Russia's position, I would like to recall here that today it was precisely Russia that was in favour of convening an urgent meeting of the ministers of the Contact Group if the military action were to cease.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“At the 24 March Security Council meeting the Russian delegation set forth its principled assessment of the unilateral use of force against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The continuing military action, undertaken under the pretext of preventing a humanitarian catastrophe, has already caused severe humanitarian consequences and done serious damage to the efforts to find a political settlement in Kosovo. This again confirms how justified we were in stating the absolute need for scrupulous compliance by all States with international law.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“That is simply not correct, for one simple reason: no proposals on this topic were introduced in the Security Council by anyone. There was never any draft resolution; there were no informal discussions, not even in the corridors - at least not with one permanent member of the Security Council, namely, Russia. Those discussions never took place. I am not saying what the results of those discussions were, but to state now that one or two permanent members of the Security Council blocked action in the Council is simply, diplomatically speaking, not true. These are the clarifications I wanted to make so that everyone knows what the facts are.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“We were discussing this with our partners in the Contact Group and made offers so that questions about the implementation of the agreement would be the subject of co-sponsorship within the Contact Group. That was not done. So when they say that Russia is a co-sponsor of everything that was rejected by Belgrade, that is not the true situation. Now, I repeat: our Western partners in the Contact Group decided to prepare and discuss the military aspects behind our backs, and Russia had nothing to do with that proposal. It was the choice of our Western partners to do this. The second clarification that I wanted to make has to do with the statement made by some of our colleagues to the effect that NATO's actions became inevitable because one or two of the permanent members of the Security Council had blocked action in the Council.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“The first point has to do with some colleagues' mention of the fact that Russia is a member of the Contact Group. That is quite correct, but they went on to say that Russia was a co-sponsor of the package of documents of the Contact Group. That is only partially true. The Contact Group adopted a document in London that is the basis of the draft political settlement. It is also true that that document enjoys the full co-sponsorship of the Russian Federation. With regard to the military implementation, the Contact Group never discussed that document, not because the Russian Federation did not want it to be discussed but because our partners in the Contact Group decided to discuss the military aspects of the implementation of the agreement behind our backs, in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and not in the Contact Group.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I have already said what my position is. Nothing of what I have heard here has changed that position. In any case, the assertion that the traditional basis for the use of force lies beyond the confines of the United Nations Charter is something that I cannot take seriously. I have set forth my position, and it has absolutely not changed. But I have taken the floor just to make two factual clarifications, as some of my colleagues have mentioned by way of argument certain events that were not quite presented correctly. I would like to make the facts known, particularly given that this is an open, public meeting at which Members of the United Nations that are not members of the Security Council are present. I must therefore clarify two points.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“"If the military conflict increases, then Russia reserves the right to take adequate measures, including military measures, to ensure its own and common European security."”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source