UNITED NATIONS: Russia would strongly oppose any attempt to seat the Syrian opposition as the representative of Damascus in the United Nations, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said on Thursday.
“We will oppose it. We’ll oppose it very strongly,” Churkin said in response to a question about a possible motion the Arab League might bring forward to advocate the opposition taking up a seat at the UN.
The Arab League has recognized the Syrian opposition on March 26 as the sole representative of Syria and diplomats say Arab nations are now planning a campaign to give Syria’s place at the 193-member United Nations to the opposition.
“But you know I don’t think it is going to happen because I think that most of the members of the UN are responsible members of the United Nations. They value this institution and they understand that if something of this sort were to happen that would really undercut the standing of the United Nations,” Churkin said in a statement.
Churkin explained that the world organization is an intergovernmental organization and “You do not simply seat opposition groups who have gone through no proper process of legitimization.”
The Russian ambassador said any representative has to be the legitimate representative of that country.
DND
