West opposes Russia’s proposal at UN to reject sanctions
The refusal of a number of western countries to pass the proposals on easing unilateral sanctions will make it more difficult to give a global and solidary response to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
This was said by Russia’s permanent envoy to the United Nations when commenting the refusal of Ukraine, Georgia, UK, US and EU to pass a relevant resolution initiated by Moscow at the UN General Assembly.
Earlier the UN General Assembly adopted an alternative and wider draft declaration on solidarity in countering COVID-19 pandemic, which ignored the UN Secretary-General’s call to lift sanctions.
"Our text envisaged: recognizing the leading role of the WHO in combating the pandemic; consent of states to cooperate in order to develop methods that should stop the spread and ensure treatment of the COVID-19 disease; providing assistance to the most vulnerable states, especially developing countries; rejection of trade wars and unilateral sanctions adopted without the mandate of the UN Security Council, in order to ensure early access to food and medication; countering financial speculations with essential supplies," the statement said.
The envoy says their document failed was not adopted by consensus after Ukraine, Georgia, UK, US, and EU moved in to stop it.
Russia however maintains that such a decision will make it more difficult to respond to the pandemic threat, according to the statement.
"We regret that a small group of states championing sanctions-based policy appeared unready to respond to the call of the UN Secretary-General and refused to cast aside politicized approaches and interests. As a result, it will be much more difficult to give a global and solidary response to the threat of the new pandemic. A great number of people, in the developing countries in the first place, might be affected," the document said.
"We would be very interested to hear and see in writing reasoning and arguments for blocking our draft Declaration by the EU, US and UK. We would be willing and happy to spare and exempt Ukraine and Georgia from undertaking this exercise, as their arguments, as ever contemptuous and politicized, would not add any value to the understanding by most of the member-states," the mission said.
Russia’s declaration was co-sponsored by 28 UN member-states and therefore they are looking forward to cooperate with like-minded colleagues on that matter.
Earlier UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to ease sanctions against a number of countries, as well as stop hostilities.
The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that occurred in late 2019 in Central China has spread to most countries across the globe and has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. According to the latest figures, around over one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been registered in the world, with the death toll exceeding 50,000 people.
