UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The OPCW-UN body was established in 2013 to investigate and prosecute suspected war crimes involving chemical weapons in Syria.
“What Russia would like to see, if this mechanism is to be extended, [is that] the anti-terrorist element of its work must be strengthened and also it must be given a regional dimension, not just the dimension limited to the territory of Syria,” Churkin said Thursday. “We know that in that part of the world, which unfortunately is presenting a particular terrorist danger these days, terrorists cross borders.”
Earlier in the day, the ambassador told fellow Security Council representatives that conclusions in the latest JIM report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN were “not substantiated by sufficient testimonial basis, first of all, material proof. They are full of contradictions and therefore unconvincing.”
Churkin expressed doubt that the JIM could be effective within its currently limited scope, and he invited other Council members to consider ways to respond to the growing threat of terrorists acquiring and using chemical weapons.
After Churkin’s post-meeting remarks to reporters, JIM chief Virginia Gamba reiterated that any extension of the investigative body’s mandate beyond next October 31 is a matter for the Security Council to decide.
Russia Doubts Need of Extending UN Mission Probing Syria Chemical Attacks
Russia doubts the necessity of extending the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) investigating chemical attacks in Syria, as it believes it is being used to pressure Syrian authorities, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.
Speaking to journalists during his visit to Jerusalem, Gatilov said that the United States was trying to shift the issue of the use of ehcmical weapons during the Syrian civil war to the UN Security Council," and then make decisions and adopt resolutions there which would give an opportunity for some other actions, including force."
"We are against this. Therefore, we have big doubts about the need to extend the mandate of this investigation group … Unofrunately, our US partners are trying to use this issue in every way to pressure the Syrian authorities."
