Explanation of Vote by Representative of the Russian Federation Dina Gilmutdinova after the UNSC Vote on UNDOF Mandate Renewal
Mr. President,
We thank all members of the Security Council who supported the Russian-American draft resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) for another six months.
At the initiative of Russia and the United States, the document underwent certain changes: it became more concise and succinct, while preserving the key elements of earlier UNSC resolutions on UNDOF and the Golan Heights. Most importantly, today's resolution preserves an unequivocal call on the parties to the conflict to comply with UNSC Resolution 338 of 1973, as well as with their obligations under the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria.
We are extremely concerned about the continued violations of the 1974 Agreement, in particular about the illegal presence of Israeli units in the buffer zone, which has lasted for more than a year now. We are equally concerned about the IDF units advancing deeper into Syria and about the indiscriminate strikes against the sovereign territory of this Arab Republic. We urge West Jerusalem to follow Damascus' example and show restraint by refraining from unilateral, illegitimate, and provocative actions, as well as to maintain regular contact with the UNDOF to address emerging differences.
We are convinced that, under the current circumstances, the presence of peacekeepers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is particularly important and should serve as a deterrent in the disengagement area. We express our gratitude to the UNDOF personnel, as well as to all troop-contributing countries that have sent their peacekeepers to the area of operations.
In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our unwavering position that the Syrian Golan Heights are an integral part of Syria, as enshrined in Security Council Resolution 497 and subsequent UN Security Council decisions.
Thank you.
