UN should maintain presence in Syria - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Aug 17 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed concerns regarding the decision made by the UN Security Council not to extend the stay of the UN observer mission in Syria and said the UN should maintain its presence in Syria.
"We express concerns about the impossibility to extend its mandate due to the position taken by some Security Council members," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report posted ion the ministry website on Friday.
"At the same time, we believe it is important to maintain the UN presence in Syria, which is aimed at resolving the crisis in Syria within the framework of Kofi Annan's plan and the Geneva agreements reached by the Action Group for Syria," the report says.
Russia gives very high marks to the role of the UN observers in Syria in the search for a solution to the conflict, the document says.
"The presence of UN peacekeepers, especially at the initial stage, helped reduce violence in the country," the report says.
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the UN Security Council approved its recommendation to re-format the UN presence in Syria in a letter by the UN Security Council addressed to the UN secretary-general.
"The tasks of the new UN office in Syria will involve monitoring the situation in the country and encouraging the conflicting parties in Syria to stop bloodshed and begin political dialogue as soon as possible," the document says.
According to earlier reports, the UN Security Council on Thursday decided not to extend the mandate of the international observers in Syria, which expires on August 19.
