Remarks to the press by Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, following the Security Council meeting on Syria
Q: You are not opposed to revisiting this subject, Ambassador?
V.Nebenzia: In due time. It should be timely. What we were saying, that this meeting today was absolutely unnecessary, divisive and didn’t solve the fate of the JIM. It should be solved in due course and in due time. We said it clearly to those who staged this spectacle today. It was a show. It was not a real thing.
Q: Can you tell us about the vote?
V.Nebenzia: We want to see the report of the JIM that should come out on October 26, 2017. We want to study it in a non-politicized atmosphere, like we had today, and to discuss both: report and renewal of JIM.
Q: I presume you had a bilateral meeting with Ambassador Haley about it?
V.Nebenzia: We had a discussion but some time ago. Before the resolution was proposed, drafted and put on the table.
Q: Did you ask her for one after it was proposed?
V.Nebenzia: No, I didn’t because I was not asked either.
Q: Without politicizing it – do you think the JIM should be extended?
V.Nebenzia: Again, we have to see the report. We haven’t seen a substantive report of the JIM for over a year now. We want to see how it works, what are its methods. What they are saying? How they collect data. How they are coming to conclusions. This all should be studied first.
Q: But you know these methods, Ambassador. You said it out.
V.Nebenzia: We said that we had concerns about the methods, but we say all the time – let’s not prejudge, let’s see the report first. Have you heard my statement? I was quoting some allegations of something that we never said. That’s an issue and that raises questions why these allegations were made.
Q: Ambassador, has the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria been a success or a failure?
V.Nebenzia: It is proceeding. The Syrians are working with OPCW to close the dossier.
