Russia to oppose UNGA's Syria resolution

Moscow, Aug 2 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia will not support a UN General Assembly draft resolution on Syria proposed by Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as it "intrudes into the UN Security Council's prerogatives", the Foreign Ministry said Thursday, a day before the vote is scheduled.

"Moscow believes this document in its current form does not contribute to the stabilisation of the Syrian conflict and halting the violence, which is why Russia will not support it," a statement issued by the ministry said.

The draft resolution calls for the Syrian government to refrain from using chemical weapons, to halt violence and bring to justice those responsible for human rights violations in Syria.

The document, obtained by RIA Novosti, does not however demand President Bashar al-Assad steps down, a point which was included in a previous version of the draft.

The Syrian conflict has claimed 14,000-20,000 lives since March 2011, according to estimates by various Syrian opposition groups and the UN.

The West is pushing for Al-Assad's ouster, while Russia and China are trying to prevent outside interference in Syria, claiming the Assad regime and the opposition are both to blame for the bloodshed.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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