Remarks to the press by Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, following the UN Security Council meeting
V.Nebenzia: The JIM is dead.
Q: Is there any hope for new resolution?
A: There is a hope for a resolution, for an attributive mechanism that we would like to be in place of JIM. Because JIM has discredited itself completely. But we are ready to talk about establishing, creating a new mechanism that would replace the JIM and do the work in an objective, unbiased, truly professional manner.
Q: Should E.Mulet play any role in this new Mechanism?
A: We are not talking about personalities, we are talking about the substance. It is not the issue of the technical renewal, technical continuation, it is the issue of substance, of how we would like to see a Mechanism working in the future.
Q: How would you like to see that happen?
A: Look at our resolution that was blocked by members of the Security Council and you will see what we want. We want the standards of the Chemical Weapons Convention, we want the “chain of custody”, we want on-site inspections, we want reporting. We want many things, they were all in our resolution.
Q: Ambassador, what is the Russian position on the work of UNAMI?
A: UNAMI is working in difficult conditions, but doing a good job. We all in the Security Council spoke about it. You will hear it soon because the UNSC President will give you a press statement on the results of the discussion on Iraq.
Q: Can you please comment on Western Sahara?
A: We all commended the initial efforts of Mr.Köhler, Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, we wished him success. I think he started very well. We will be supporting him.
