2 Dec 2011

UN / RUSSIA CHURKIN

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters today that he was "proud" of the international communty’s role played in Yemen and expressed regret that a similar course of action, promoting dialogue, was not followed on Syria. UNTV

Posted at: December 2, 2011 6:33 pm

Duration: 02:18

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / RUSSIA CHURKIN 
TRT: 2.18
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 2 DECEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.	Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

2 DECEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2.	Wide shot, dais
3.	Med shot, journalist
4.	SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
"We hope that, you know, this opportunity to really mediate between the Government and the opposition is not lost, even though some of the recent actions we find to be counterproductive."
5.	Med shot, journalist
6.	SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
"In Yemen, I think the international community can be proud that even in a situation of bloodshed and very serious conflict in a country, we were given strong signals in favour of dialogue, of political accommodation, and this is what we achieved. In fact what we don't understand is why if that can be done in Yemen, that can not apply to Syria."
7.	Med shot, journalists
8.	SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
"We believe that the sanctions track on Iran situation has been exhausted. We continue to believe very strongly that negotiations should continue with Iran. We have been over the past few years and particularly intensively recently, coming up with creative suggestions to help restart talks between Iran and the six. We were quite upset that that effort was, we hope interrupted, we hope not entirely derailed, but interrupted by recent developments when IAEA came out with a report which was played up more as a PR exercise than a serious nuclear effort."
9.	Med shot, journalist
10.	SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
"The words are no longer what they use to be. They have different meaning, because like no-fly-zone in the good old world used to mean that nobody is flying; that you prevent aircraft from being used for hostile purposes against civilians. In the brave new world no-fly-zone means free-wheeling bombing of the targets you choose to bomb, in whatever modality and mode you want to bomb; close air support OK, bombing television station OK, you know, and that is a matter of grave concern."
11.	Zoom in, journalist
12.	Wide shot, dais

STORYLINE:

Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia said today (2 December) that he hopes that the League of Arab States' mediation effort in Syria "is not lost", although he believes recent actions by the Organization have been "counterproductive."

The League of Arab States recently suspended Syria and imposed political and economic sanctions on its Government until it ends its crackdown on protesters.
Churkin said that in Yemen "the international community can be proud that even in a situation of bloodshed and very serious conflict in a country, we were given strong signals in favour of dialogue, of political accommodation, and this is what we achieved."

He lamented that a Russian-Chinese tabled resolution on Syria failed to advance in the Security Council and asked why "if that can be done in Yemen, that can not apply to Syria."

Regarding Iran's nuclear programme, the Russian Ambassador said that "the sanctions track on Iran situation has been exhausted" and insisted that "negotiations should continue with Iran."

He noted that the Russian Government has "over the past few years and particularly intensively recently", come up with "creative suggestions" to help restart talks between Iran and the P5 + 1 group, composed of the US, China, Britain, France and Russia and Germany.

He added that Russia was "quite upset" that efforts were, "we hope interrupted, we hope not entirely derailed" by the release of a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which "was played up more as a PR exercise than a serious nuclear effort."

A recent report by the IAEA indicated that there is credible information that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.

Churkin, who was briefing journalists on the Security Council's activities for the month of December lamented recent developments in the Council and said that "words are no longer what they use to be."

He pointed to the case of Libya and said that a no-fly-zone "in the good old world used to mean that nobody is flying; that you prevent aircraft from being used for hostile purposes against civilians" while in "the brave new world no-fly-zone means free-wheeling bombing of the targets you choose to bomb."

He added that this was "a matter of grave concern."