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UN Security Council to vote on Syria

THE UN Security Council is scheduled to meet in an open session on the current situation in Syria, the UN Spokesperson's Office announced yesterday.

"There will be an open meeting of the Security Council at 9 o' clock tomorrow morning," the UN office told reporters here.

Diplomats said that a revised Arab-European draft resolution on Syria will be put to vote when the council meets today.

The announcement came after the 15 council members late on Thursday reached a consensus on sending a draft resolution on Syria to their capitals for further instructions.

Earlier this week, Russia, a veto-wielding member, voiced its strong opposition to the draft resolution, tabled yesterday last week by Morocco, a non-permanent member of the council. The draft was jointly drawn up by Arab states, Britain, France and Germany.

At the end of the four-hour hard negotiations at the council behind closed doors on Thursday, sponsors of the draft dropped a specific reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ceding of power.

The revision was made in order to avoid a veto by Russia, which, together with China, vetoed a European draft resolution on Syria in October 2011.

According to the revised copy of the draft resolution, which was sent to governments of the council members and obtained by Xinhua, the Security Council "full supports" the Arab League plan which demands a political transition in Syria.

Reports indicated that Russia is not yet satisfied. Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov as saying that the revised draft was "not enough for us to be able to support it in this form."

Russia has warned some countries against meddling in the internal affairs of Syria out of its concerns that the draft resolution contains what is seen to promote "regime change" in the Middle East country.



 

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