Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on the Syrian chemical file (resolution 2118)
Mr.President,
Congratulations on the beginning of your Presidency of the Security Council. We also welcome the new non-permanent members of the Council – Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland, and Ecuador. We wish everyone successful and effective work.
It is a pity that this year begins with another briefing on the Syrian chemical file. Those meetings are getting on nerves due to their complete lack of added value. Alongside with other Council members, we underscored repeatedly that there is no point in raising this topic every month just “for show”, to serve the internal political tasks of a number of Western states. This devaluates the discussion in the Council and undermines authority of this body.
In view of the fact that Director-General of the OPCW, Mr.F.Arias, always comes up with unrealistic pretexts to justify his no-show in the Security Council for a briefing and gets by with issuing identical reports every month, we call to respect the time of Security Council members and optimize the schedule of such meetings. Unless this is done, we see no point entering in a discussion on this subject matter.
Thank you.
