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1st LD Writethru: Chinese envoy appeals avoiding politicalization of Syrian humanitarian issue

Xinhua, December 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Chinese envoy on Monday called on the Security Council to make continued efforts to "speak with one voice" to the outside world and to avoid the politicalization of the humanitarian issue in Syria.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the appeal after the 15-nation council voted on a draft resolution that calls for a seven-day humanitarian truce in Syria's Aleppo.

The Security Council failed to adopt the resolution as Russia and China vetoed it. Eleven council members voted in favor, Venezuela voted against and Angola abstained.

Liu said the draft resolution just voted on by the Security Council contains concrete measures for the easing of the humanitarian situation in Syria.

"Council members...have made great efforts to seek consensus," said Liu. "These efforts could have continued so that the Security Council can speak with one voice to the outside world and avoid the politicalization of the humanitarian issue."

Liu said action on the draft resolution while there are still serious differences is not conducive to the diplomatic efforts by the countries concerned nor is helpful to the improvement of the situation in Syria.

"The Security Council should maintain unity on the question of Syria, speak with one voice and work together to play a constructive role for an early political settlement of the question of Syria," he added.

Recently, the conflict in Syria has kept escalating, causing serious worsening of the humanitarian situation in some areas and plunging the Syrian people into deep sufferings.

"China expresses its deep concern over the situation in Syria and feels for the Syrian people in the sufferings in the conflict," said Liu.

He called on the international community to work together to push the Syrian issue back to the track of seeking a solution through peaceful negotiations and dialogue and find a fundamental way out of the conflict as soon as possible.

"Action by the Security Council on the question of Syria should be conducive to the work of the four tracks of resumption of ceasefire, political peace talks, cooperation in counter-terrorism and humanitarian relief," he added.

Before the vote, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said to the council that putting the draft resolution into vote violates the Security Council's working procedure since under the council's rule, the document should have been voted on Tuesday morning.

Churkin said the council needs more time to take into account new circumstances in Syria and to reach consensus on a resolution that can contribute to improving humanitarian in Syria, particularly in Aleppo. Enditem