Russia condemned a resolution on Syria which the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted on Friday as “harmful,” complaining that it was tantamount to a show of support for rebels fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Reuters quoted Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin as having told the 193-nation assembly that the Saudi-drafted resolution “hides blatant support to the armed opposition.”
Russia was among only 12 countries that voted against the non-binding text, which condemns Damascus and calls for a political transition.
The resolution received 133 votes in favor and 31 abstentions. China, Iran and Cuba were among the dozen nations that voted against the resolution, which Western diplomats said had been intended to highlight Russia’s and China’s isolation for using their veto power in the Security Council to protect Assad.
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari, after the vote, complained that the meeting was “another piece of theater” organized by the Qatari president of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, to pursue his country’s agenda.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar support the rebels determined to oust Assad. Jafari repeated his country’s accusations that both are supplying weapons to the opposition, adding that Friday’s “resolution will have no impact whatsoever.”
Jaafari was later criticized by Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, who accused him of spreading lies and hiding the reality that takes place in Syria.
“You’re using consistently the UN podium to spread lies and gloss over reality. You deserve an Olympic medal for that,” Prosor told Jaafari.
“People are being slaughtered every day in the streets of Syria and in your speeches to the UN you are telling us fairy tales that are unrelated to what is happening on the ground,” added Prosor.
He turned to the members of the General Assembly and said that they must pass an unequivocal message to Assad: “Transferring chemical weapons to Hizbullah or other terrorist organizations is a red line that should not be crossed.”
