UN Security Council postpones vote on Russian-drafted resolution on probe of chemical attack in Syria

UNITED NATIONS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday postponed a vote on a Russian-drafted resolution on a probe into allegations of a chemical attack in Douma, Syria.

Right before the Russian text was going to put to vote, Swedish ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog requested a suspension of the Security Council meeting for further consultations.

"We want swift and resolute action today. We want this council to shoulder its responsibility," said Skoog. "But I'm not sure if we have exhausted all venues to get there. And I'm not sure that voting now on the draft will get us there, either."

"We are at a very fragile phase of council deliberations now and we need to reflect carefully on the way forward to ensure that we don't jump into further paralysis (that is) difficult to defense or repair."

He asked the council president to suspend the meeting so that the ambassadors can "reflect carefully and collectively on the next step." And the council meeting was suspended.

The Russian text was amended on the basis of Swedish draft elements circulated on Monday in order to find common ground in the Security Council for an outcome in support of an investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the alleged chemical attack in Douma on Saturday.

Russia substantially amended those elements and presented them as a Russian draft on Tuesday. Russia requested the draft to be voted on alongside two competing draft resolutions on an investigative mechanism for chemical weapons use in Syria.

The two resolutions, drafted by the United States and Russia respectively, both failed to be adopted on Tuesday. Enditem