Russia has vetoed the Western draft of a United Nations Security Council resolution on sanctions against Mali, a TASS correspondent reported on Wednesday.
The draft envisaged the extension of the sanction regime, which has been in force since 2017, until August 31, 2024. Russia insists that this extension should be the last one.
China abstained while other Security Council members supported the resolution.
Ahead of the voting, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that "on the background of Bamako’s official request to lift the regime of sanctions, it would be counterproductive" to adopt the resolution initiated by the United Arab Emirates and France "not only in terms of ensuring the efficiency of the sanction regime, but also for the peace process in Mali."
Under the current regime of restrictions imposed on Mali, the sanction list may include individuals and organizations responsible for actions jeopardizing peace, security or stability in Mali, in particular those who are participating in hostilities in violation of the 2015 peace agreement, hindering its implementation, hampering humanitarian assistance, violating international humanitarian law, and involved in recruiting children.
Source: Iran Press
