YouSaid · the spoken record

Vershinin

lines on the record: 63
first: 2019-05-28
most recent: 2023-04-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“I would like to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than four minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. I now give the floor to the representative of Viet Nam.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Essentially, only the name of the State was changed, while Ukraine is, in fact, the successor State — a new State entity. With regard to quoting poems, it is a very good thing when a political message comes in poetic form. I myself like poems — about beauty, for example — including by Zabolotskiy, a Soviet poet. Remember those verses? And if it is so, then what is the beauty And why do people worship it? Is it a completely empty vessel Or the fire flickering in it? I myself would compare beauty with wisdom. We need to have wisdom. We have to be sure to come up with wise decisions, including when it comes to a settlement in eastern Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk package of measures. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Kyslytsya, including his remarks on the legality of Russia’s membership of the United Nations and the Security Council. Unfortunately, I must note that it is not the first time that representatives of other countries, including Ukraine, have sought to self-aggrandize by using that argument. The calculus here is very clear. It is intended for the benefit of those who are not very well-versed in these issues and are not familiar with international law. But professionals know, and people in general know. If we are going to discuss whether or not Russia went through the process for becoming a Member of the United Nations, perhaps we could then raise the issue of whether Ukraine did so. Or are we still dealing with the Ukrainian Soviet Republic? Russia is the State continuing the legal personality of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“We are holding a meeting today on the Minsk package of measures. I am very satisfied with the fact that most of the statements indicated that the Minks agreements are a very clear — and the sole — international legal framework to settle the intra-Ukrainian conflict. By the way, I have a great deal of respect for our interpreters and how they manage to keep up to speed with what is said — and to do it correctly. I have two requests. First, Zelenskyy called the Minsk agreements “totally without merit”. I would like to hear how it was interpreted to English and French, I will not be able to hear it in other languages. I am assuming the meaning was conveyed. Secondly, I listened very carefully to the statement just made by Mr.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“I shall now make a further statement in my capacity as the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. We heard here today words such as “war” and “aggression”. But the most interesting thing was that no one ever said those words on behalf of Russia here at the United Nations — or will say those words. I regret that the very powerful statements made by President Putin in recent days with regard to the situation in eastern Ukraine were not heard. I would like our partners to at least hear what was said at the press conferences in Moscow, where we received visits from high-level officials such as the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany. Negotiations were held and detailed press conferences took place where our guests and the President of the Russian Federation spoke.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“We are ready for serious dialogue — not an imitation of dialogue, but genuine dialogue. As members know, today the United States Ambassador to Moscow received our written reaction to the United States response on security guarantees. We hope that it will receive careful consideration in Washington, D.C., as it is a very detailed document. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. The representative of the United States of America has asked for the floor to make a further statement.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Another $200 million worth of weaponry was provided in January. That does not include what is being provided by the United Kingdom, Canada and the Baltic States. All those States send lethal weaponry to Kyiv: combat drones, Stinger air-defence systems, Javelin antitank weapon systems, small arms and ammunition. Poland provides ammunition for 122- and 152-millimetre weapons, which, as we know, are banned under the Minsk agreements. Why are the aggressive rhetoric and constant warnings about the Russian military threat needed? To supply all of those weapons and to use this situation as a pretext. It is obvious to us that the final goal of this campaign is to downplay the talks on long-standing legally binding security guarantees for our country. We demanded such guarantees from NATO and the US — in a frank and transparent manner.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“The fact is that Russian forces were stationed on Russian territory and remain on Russian territory. The day before yesterday, after their exercises, some of the units started to return to their home base in Russia. Russian officials say — and I will repeat today — that my country is conducting drills on our own territory in a way we find appropriate. There are other facts, bedsides the rhetoric to which I would like to draw the Council’s attention. Ukraine is in violation of the Vienna Document of 2011, on confidence and security-building measures. There are 120,000 troops deployed on the border with Donbas on the Ukrainian side. According to open-source data, the United States provided weapons to Ukraine last year worth $650 million. Those are not toys. Those are weapons that can shoot.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Therefore, we must have a clear and necessary picture of the current conflict that reflects the real situation. With regard to the alleged prepared aggression of Russia against Ukraine, some people have “very usefully” laid out the military scenarios. That was done by the Secretary of State of the United States. He listed the provocations that could be used as a pretext to invade Ukraine. Such unsubstantiated insinuations are regrettable. I would even go so far as to say that they are dangerous, because they introduce more tension into an already tense atmosphere. But those are just words and statements. We made several statements at various levels that underscored our proposals and intentions. It is very unfortunate that those statements at the highest level, from Moscow, were not heeded by everyone. What are the facts?”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Cleverly talked today about the prehistory of this the issue, and I do not believe that the picture that he painted was accurate. It was one-sided and superficial. Let me just recall the historic period that preceded many an issue, namely, the illegal and bloody coup d’état in Kyiv in 2014. The radicals and nationalists took power at that time. They refused to engage in dialogue with the Russian-speaking people. They threatened them. The Russian language was and continues to be discriminated against. Versions of history are being put forward that include even the glorification of Nazi criminals. That is something that happened and continues to happen. It led to the separation of Crimea and its reunification with Russia as the result of a referendum.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“They had no other option after Ukraine stopped upholding its social responsibility towards them. But let me underscore once again that this is an initiative — an appeal from the members of the State Duma. Therefore, what we need to do is to concentrate on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, as many have said today, rather than speculate about this. It is equally important to make sure that we avoid discussing these issues in the Security Council. Otherwise, we will be discussing any decision of any parliament in the world. Let me draw attention to another thing that President Putin said. He said that we need to do our utmost to make sure that the solution to the problem in Donbas is found through the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Mr.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“I shall now make a further statement in my capacity as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. I have listened very carefully to the statements that have been made by colleagues, and I would like to dwell on some of the issues that were touched upon. First, I would like to draw the attention of Council members to the unnecessary speculation concerning the appeal of the members of the State Duma to President Putin with a request to acknowledge Donbas. It is a proposal to consider this issue, although the fact that it exists reflects the Russian people’s feelings about Donbas. The people of Donbas have been subject to shelling by the Ukrainian army for many years, as we have heard today. It should not be forgotten that hundreds of thousands of people in that Ukrainian region have Russian citizenship.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“We long ago clarified and explained everything, and the date announced for the so-called invasion is behind us, so therefore my advice to my colleagues is not to put yourself in an awkward situation. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I now call on the Secretary of State of the United States of America.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“We know it was a treacherous event and a direct violation of the fifth item under the measures, which prohibits “the prosecution and punishment of persons in connection with events that took place in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine”. Finally, let me say that I hope that my colleagues from the Western countries will be able to resist the temptation to play to the cameras, to make this meeting into a forum for baseless and aggressive rhetoric and to present their groundless accusations that Russia allegedly was going to attack Ukraine. I think that we have had enough speculation on that, including in the meeting of the Security Council held on 31 January convened by the United States (see S/PV.8960).”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“That and other similar episodes were gathered by the investigative committee of Russia and the RT network in a compilation showing the crimes committed by the Ukrainian military using prohibited means and methods of warfare. Our United Nations Mission has disseminated it to members of the Security Council. I would ask them to please take a look; they will be horrified. Kyiv’s commitment to the complex of measures can also be illustrated by the abduction last year of Andrey Kosyak, an observer from Luhansk, from the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination. We would be very grateful if Mr. Kinnunen could tell us about that episode.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Ukrainian representatives continue to come up with new excuses not to implement the agreements and to give orders to shell their own people. The Alley of Angels, a memorial complex in Donetsk, commemorates the children who died at the hands of the Ukrainian military, including those who died at the children’s beach in Zugres, a town in Donbas, on 13 August 2014, targeted by the Ukrainian air force. More than twenty people died and dozens were wounded. A 24-year-old local, Anastasia Ruban, was there with her two-year-old son when the Ukrainian air force started shelling the town from its multiple rocket- launch systems. One of the charges exploded right next to them. “Everything was covered in blood and smoke, and the bloodied bodies of children were everywhere,” says the woman.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“I should like to recall that the Normandy format, according to annex II to resolution 2202 (2015), is a mechanism to oversee implementation but not a forum where new decisions can be discussed. For seven years Russia has been calling from all platforms for Western sponsors to exert pressure on Kyiv to implement the Minsk agreements; they have been doing exactly the opposite. So the increasing feeling of impunity and permissiveness pushed Ukrainian hotheads to use new excuses and undertake military adventures against their own people, and the internal armed conflict has resulted in thousands of victims. Many millions of people in Donbas are still viewed as foreigners in their own country. Automatic rifles, sniper rifles, Howitzers and strike drones are aimed at them.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Currently the Verkhovna Rada has a draft on decentralization; it is not agreed with Donbas and does not provide for special status. The Ukrainian side has completely moved away from a direct interaction with Donbas within the coordination mechanism. It is providing various options but does not allow for an effective reaction in case of violations of the ceasefire regime. Attempts to place the blame on Russia and to imply that it is a party to the conflict are futile and baseless. I must say that we are very disappointed by the ostrich-like position of our Western colleagues, who are trying hard not to see obvious things. We are surprised that they are sidelining the Minsk measures but are placing emphasis on the Normandy format.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“The root of the problem here is a systematic lack of will on the part of Kyiv to initiate a direct dialogue with the authorized representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Contact Group. However, that is a dialogue that is clearly directly provided for in the fourth, ninth, eleventh and twelfth items of the document. That is not our requirement; that is something that is stated in the document. It is an obligation on Ukraine and something that our neighbours increasingly bring into question, thus risking the undermining of the entire Minsk process, which could lead to devastating consequences for Ukraine. Ukraine stubbornly refuses to implement the provisions of the Minsk agreements on direct dialogue with Donbas, interim self-governance, restoring socioeconomic links and constitutional reform to grant special status to the region.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“First, a ceasefire; second, the withdrawal of weapons; third, OSCE monitoring; fourth, the launching of a dialogue between Kyiv and Donbas; fifth, amnesty; sixth, the exchange of detainees; seventh, humanitarian access; eighth, the lifting of the economic blockade; ninth, the transfer to Kyiv of border control, provided item 11 is implemented; tenth, the withdrawal of foreign formations and mercenaries; eleventh, new constitutions providing special status for Donbas; twelfth, an agreement on the order of the elections; and thirteenth, intensifying the work of the Minsk Contact Group. Seven years down the road, it is clear that none of the provisions of the package of measures has been implemented by Ukraine in full, starting with the first one, a ceasefire.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“At the same time, it is obvious that there are absolutely no grounds for that, because there is no mention of Russia in the text of the agreements. Let me just offer one opinion on this issue — not that of just anyone but that of a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Mr.Shishkin. He very recently proposed undertaking criminal prosecutions against those who participated in the elaboration of the agreements, Leonid Kuchma and Petro Poroshenko, and the reason, he says, is that: “Minsk provides for 20 obligations placed on Ukraine, six on the OSCE, two on Donbas and not a single one on Russia”. Allow me to once again very briefly recall the contents of the document that we are discussing at this meeting. Let me list them item by item. The order in which they are to be implemented is very clearly stated and cannot be changed.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Danilov, stated that the implementation of the Minsk agreements meant the destruction of the country. He said that the agreements were signed at the barrel of Russian guns, with the Germans and the French looking on, and that every rational person understood that implementation was impossible. Ukrainian politics are trying to implant the opinion in the West that the Minsk agreements go against the national interests of Ukraine. But if the goal of building peace on its own territory is in the national interest of Ukraine, such statements are out of place. Another excuse that we hear here is that Russia is not implementing some of its obligations under the Minsk agreements; it is very possible that we will also hear this today.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Andriy Yermak, at the recent Normandy format meeting of political advisers in Paris. Earlier, on 2 February, Mr. Kuleba said that no Ukrainian region will have the right to veto State decisions, and that that was set in stone. He said that there would be no special status, as Russia supposedly imagines, and no veto power. A day earlier, on 1 February, President Zelenskyy also reminded the entire world of Ukraine’s inability to negotiate. Hinting at the existence of an alternative solution to the conflict in Donbas, he said that Kyiv has varying views on the order of implementation of certain provisions of the Minsk agreements. On 31 January, in an interview with the Associated Press, the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Mr.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“Iryna Vreshchuk, stated that “there would be no new laws on the special status of Donbas and no direct coordination”. That came after Zelenskyy’s meeting with Chancellor Scholz. She also acknowledged the fact that Kyiv does not feel any pressure from the West to implement the Minsk agreements. On 4 February, in an interview with the Ukrainian television channel 1+1, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Dmytro Kuleba, said that the Minsk agreements could not be implemented on Russian terms, to which he for some reason ascribed the direct dialogue between Ukraine and Donbas, despite the fact that it is clearly stated as one of the conditions in the package of measures. The same idea was put forward by the Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Mr.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“On this day seven years ago, the Security Council, through its resolution 2202 (2015), unanimously adopted the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements as the only international legal basis for resolving the civil conflict in the east of Ukraine (see S/PV.7384). That is why we consider the main goal of today’s meeting to be the Security Council’s reaffirmation of the fact that there is no alternative to that momentous document for Ukraine. Unfortunately, after seven years, we have more and more reasons to believe that the implementation of the Minsk agreements still does not feature in the plans of our Ukrainian neighbours. They are already talking about that openly. Here are just a few of the most recent examples. Just yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Ms.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“I thank Ms. Montian for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. We would like to thank the Under-Secretary- General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo; the Special Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Mr. Mikko Kinnunen; and the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Mr. Yaşar Halit Çevik, for their assessments and views. We are grateful to Ms. Tetiana Montian for her valuable first-hand information on how the decisions of the Security Council on the settlement of the intra-Ukrainian conflict are being implemented in practice. The date of today’s meeting was not chosen at random.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Germany and Ukraine to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; His Excellency Mr. Mikko Kinnunen, Special Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group; His Excellency Mr. Yaşar Halit Çevik, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine; and Ms. Tetiana Montian, Ukrainian civil- society activist. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“As we end our presidency, I know I speak on behalf of the Council in wishing the delegation of South Africa good luck in the month of October. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject. The meeting rose at 12.50p.m.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“It has indeed been abusy month. And, while I might not be the one to say this, as I witnessed it more from Moscow, as I saw today, and know from the work of our Permanent Mission, headed by our Permanent Representative, it has indeed been a busy month in which we rallied to consensus on several important issues within our purview. Unfortunately, that was not the case on all of them, as was mentioned today. But the consensus we did reach we could not have achieved alone or without the hard work, support and positive contributions of every delegation and representatives of the Secretariat, including the conference servicing officers, the interpreters, the translators, the verbatim reporters and the security staff.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“In this regard, I would also like to express my certainty that the ideas and proposals that the Council has heard from the Russian Federation with respect to the creation of a reliable security arrangement in the Persian Gulf is a necessary and useful foundation for the discussion of how we can all jointly - together - help to create such a security arrangement. I propose that we do not waste that opportunity in our future discussions. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. Before I adjourn the meeting, as this is the last scheduled meeting of the Council for the month of September, I would like, on behalf of the Russian Federation, to express our sincere appreciation to the members of the Council and the Secretariat for all their support to us.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“In my national statement, I underscored the deep regional significance of our swift action with regard to a lasting and reliable settlement in Syria, and our exchange of opinions demonstrated that, yet again, if we seize the present opportunity to move quickly towards a good and reliable settlement in Syria in the interest of all Syrians, I believe that would make a decisive contribution to the architecture of peace and security that we all are trying to create in the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf. The exchange of statements we have had just now only reconfirms that fact.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“In my capacity as President of the Security Council, I would like to underscore that anyone who wished to take the floor has had the opportunity to do so. We have listened very carefully to all of those who asked to speak to address the main agenda item, Syria, as well as broader, more regional issues. I think the statements made by everyone today and the exchange that ensued were undoubtedly useful and will be continued in future. I shall now speak briefly in my national capacity. I would like to say that the exchange and statements made in the past few minutes of our meeting showed how all the peace and security issues in the Middle East are interlinked.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“The representative of Saudi Arabia has asked for the floor to make a further statement. Before giving him the floor, I just want to remind everyone of the need to be as brief as possible and not to digress from the subject at hand, which today is the main item on the agenda.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“I am convinced that, if we act together - all together - we will be able to do more for Syria and Syrians than we would if we acted on our own. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. The representative of China has asked to make a further statement.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“That will help to strengthen the country's economy and create conditions conducive to the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes. That is precisely what our Western partners have been talking about over the past year, literally pleading for help in launching the Constitutional Committee as a key precondition for unfreezing funding for necessary post-war recovery. I believe it is immoral to condition conciliatory gestures towards Damascus with constantly changing political demands. Finally, I support the coordinated and coherent efforts of the international community, provided that they are meant to advance a genuine peace process rather than serving narrow geostrategic aims.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“Of course, we cannot but be concerned about the situation in north-eastern Syria, where ISIL sleeper cells are becoming more active. We believe that achieving stability and security in those areas is ultimately possible only if they are returned to the control of the legitimate Government. It is also unacceptable to consolidate the dividing lines that, unfortunately, exist in Syria today, in particular under the pretext of a so- called nationwide ceasefire. Declaring a truce with terrorists is not possible by definition, and the problems within Syria ought to be resolved through a broad, inclusive dialogue. Today's turnaround in the political settlement creates the conditions for taking concrete steps to provide comprehensive humanitarian assistance in the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“The Syrian people, including with the support of Russia, have won a decisive victory over terrorism. The main forces of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Jabhat Al-Nusra, or whatever it may be called nowadays, and other terrorist groups recognized as such by the Security Council have been eliminated. But the eradication of terrorists, including in such major hotspots as Idlib, must continue with the utmost care for the lives and security of civilians. We are disappointed that consensus could not be reached on most issues during the recent discussion of the situation in Idlib. But the blame in that regard is on those who, under humanitarian pretexts, deliberately submitted a draft resolution (S/2019/756) that was politicised and had no chance of being adopted.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“As a member of the Astana troika, Iran has done much to defeat terrorism in Syria, but I have difficulty remembering what some Western members of the small group have done to launch the political process and create the conditions for it. There is a lot of talk and lecturing, but little is actually done. I hope that that will change. We may be talking about Syria today, but we are well aware that if we can move towards a sustainable and lasting political settlement in that country - based, I repeat, on a commitment to its sovereignty and territorial integrity - it will certainly have a much- needed impact on the entire region. Peace, security and stability in the Middle East will benefit. The time has come to encourage, not discourage, Syria's return to the Arab family.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“We are convinced that attempts to interfere in the inter-Syrian dialogue and impose prescriptions on Syrians that are incompatible with their cultural, religious and national traditions are unacceptable. It is also unacceptable to set artificial time limits or to demand concessions from only one of the parties. That is the position of the Astana format, which stands ready to continue providing constructive assistance to the Syrians in coordination with the United Nations. We invite all those genuinely interested in returning peace to Syria to join our efforts in a constructive way. It has been said that it is strange that the representative of Iran should be at the table with us. It seems strange to me that those words were heard in this Chamber at all.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“The Presidents of the three countries stated that firmly at the fifth tripartite summit in Ankara on 16 September. The practice of holding high-level international meetings on Syria in the Astana format will continue. The next such meeting is scheduled to be held in the capital of Kazakhstan in the near future. We believe that all of us should take great care in preserving the inter-Syrian dialogue to begin in Geneva at the end of October. We have no doubt that the Syrians themselves, who represent one of the oldest and most unique countries in the Middle East, with a centuries-old tradition of peaceful coexistence among ethnic and religious groups, will be able to find mutually acceptable solutions themselves. They also have sufficient expertise to achieve that end.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“Russia, together with Iran and Turkey, made a decisive contribution to determining its composition and agreeing on its rules of procedure. The guarantor countries worked very closely with the Syrian parties, namely, the Government and the opposition, and carefully coordinated their efforts with Secretary- General Guterres and his Special Envoy. Russia will continue to support the successful launch and sustainable work of the Constitutional Committee in every way possible. The same assurances have also been repeatedlygiven by the representatives of Turkey and Iran. At the same time, all the activities of the Astana guarantors will be based on the strict observance of the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“Let me remind members that the idea of establishing the Constitutional Committee was adopted by the participants in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi in 2018, who represented all segments of Syrian society. We agree with Mr. Pedersen that the establishment of the Committee is not an end, but the beginning of a long road. And many have stated that today. Syrians have to agree for themselves on the parameters of the future development of their country. I would also like to recall the key principle of their independent work, as enshrined in resolution 2254 (2015), which is to promote a Syrian-led and Syrian- owned political process. We welcome the intention to hold the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva in late October.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of the Russian Federation We thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary- General, Mr. Pedersen, for his briefing and all the speakers for their views and assessments. The Security Council has repeatedly considered the matter of a political settlement in Syria, but today's meeting is special. For the first time, we meet at a time when we can say with satisfaction that real conditions have been created and are in place to move forward on the path to a lasting and just settlement of the Syrian crisis in the interest of all Syrians without exception. As Special Envoy Pedersen just confirmed to us, the work on the formation of the Constitutional Committee has been fully completed. That is undoubtedly a major accomplishment for the entire international community.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkey to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome His Excellency Mr. Gholamhossein Dehghani, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Legal and International Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and His Excellency Mr. Sedat Onal, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. 1 give the floor to Mr. Pedersen.”
2019-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8628 (2019) · source
“With regard to the remarks by a number of representatives that, in the case of reports of the use of chlorine, they will respond quickly and appropriately, I would only urge that, rather than acting quickly, they act intelligently and based on verified data, which should unquestionably precede any action, especially if such action could have seriously destabilizing effects.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“I want the Council to know that Russia is very committed to all of its obligations under the memorandum with Turkey, which has been frequently cited today. That is therefore not going to happen , but at the same time the fight against terrorism is necessary. I have also wondered, in answer to questions that have been asked today, what sort of message we are sending, after today's discussion and those during previous meetings, to the 3 million civilians in Idlib who, as we have all acknowledged, are hostage to organizations that we all call terrorist. As I understand it, the message that many are trying to send is that they will have to continue to put up with the situation for now. I think that is wrong and creates terrible disappointment among the civilians who are hearing that message from the international community.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, the Al-Nusra Front and Al-Qaida are all organizations that we have all designated as terrorist and that we must therefore repudiate. That is why I was surprised by the references to the Government's relaunching or renewal ofthe fight against the Al-Nusra Front. That is not some whim, it is the duty of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to us, the international community, to combat that terrorist group. The hope was expressed here several times that Idlib might not become a second Aleppo. I kept waiting for somebody to say that they hoped Idlib would not become a second Raqqa. I can assert that Idlib will not become a second Raqqa, that dead city that the United States-led international coalition bombed into the ground. The Idlib operation is not about the large-scale use of force.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“They are trying to survive and build a future for themselves. In my statement I said that according to our estimate, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, an organization that the Council has recognized as terrorist, now controls 99 per cent of the Idlib de-escalation zone. I was expecting someone to at least attempt to correct that number, but no one did. I therefore want to ask once again exactly what the sides in question here are. I was pleased to hear condemnations of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham's violations of the ceasefire. But what I want to say is that there have been no violations, because Hayat Tahrir Al- Sham is not a party that has any obligation under anything to do with the ceasefire. The ceasefire was established between the Government and the armed opposition, and the Astana format played a role in that.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Mr. Vershinin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I have indeed asked to speak again and beg the Council's indulgence for just a few minutes more. First of all, I am very moved by the serious discussion today and with my welcome, which is truly very important to me. We are dealing seriously with every issue related to the evolution of the situation in Syria on the humanitarian, military and political settlement fronts. I therefore want to say a few words, and partly to respond to what has been said. Clearly I cannot continue analysing or comparing the situation in Syria to the Game ofThrones television series, which I have not seen, but needless to say what has been going on in Syria for a very long time is no game. The reality is that a sovereign country and its people are not playing at anything.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Is it even possible for us to say that terrorists have an obligation to do something under international humanitarian law? Should they or can they have such obligations?”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source