F.P Report
MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday called out United States to provide assurance that the head of the Russian delegation could enter the country to attend a session of the UN Disarmament Commission.
While mentioning the details of the demands, Zakharova remarked that “We demand that the US authorities review drastically their policy and return to responsible compliance with its commitments as the UN headquarters’ host country, ensuring entry for the head of the Russian delegation so that he can take part in the commission’s work.”
He further mentioned that, “I can assure you that the UN Secretariat is also working to resolve the situation, which was caused by the US government’s illegal steps.”
Recalling 2019 UN Disarmament Commission, Zakharova commented that Moscow had to suspend its session for the first time after Washington had not issued visas for the head and members of the Russian delegation.
She went on to grill United States for violating the 1947 agreement regarding the UN Headquarters and also called out U.S for ignoring key provisions of the report passed by the UN General Assembly.
Russian diplomat was of the view that, “the General Assembly urged the host country to remove all remaining travel restrictions it imposed on staff of certain missions and staff members of the Secretariat of certain nationalities and expressed serious concern regarding the non•issuance of entry visas to certain representatives of certain Member States,”
Adding that, “makes it clear that there is an unrestricted right” of those individuals who go to New York as representatives of UN member states to enter the United States “for the purpose of proceeding to the Headquarters district.”
Zakharova pointed out that the US’ neglect of its commitments as the UN Headquarters’ host country had become a factor that “impedes the given commission’s functioning and discredit its status as a key element of the UN disarmament mechanism.”
“In conditions when it is impossible to ensure participation of UN member states’ experts in the commission’s session, the added value of the recommendations it drafts is devalued. It is obvious,” she added.
Russian Diplomat also pointed out that “Washington’s actions undermine the established procedural features of the commission’s functioning, first and foremost, the practice of consensus decision-making, which is a fundamental principle of work that guarantees the balance of all member countries’ interests and the universal nature of the recommendation worked out by the commission.”
She concluded by saying that. “Without providing equal working conditions on the commission’s floor for all experts of the UN member states, the commission’s organizational and substantive session loses its practical meaning”.
