Russia formally presented to the UN Security Council on Thursday its draft resolution endorsing a six-point cease-fire agreement on the Georgian crisis sponsored by France.
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Russian troops and armored vehicles pull out from the city of Gori, Georgia, August 18, 2008. |
Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin made the announcement to reporters after the council concluded on late afternoon fresh consultations on Georgia.
In response to a reporter's question, however, Churkin refrained from disclosing when Moscow would call for a council vote on the draft.
"We can go to vote in 24 hours since it has been put in blue, but I would not give you an exact time of what is going to happen, " Churkin said.
Churkin introduced to the 15-member body on Wednesday the draft resolution that would reaffirm the six principles contained in the French-brokered cease-fire agreement.
The draft says the Security Council endorses the cease-fire agreement agreed in Moscow on Aug. 12, which was first raised by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Then the draft gives a detailed account of the agreement before calling on "the parties concerned to implement the above-mentioned plan in good faith."
French Deputy Ambassador Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the council is still working for "a unanimous resolution based on the six- point plan."
"This is an ongoing process, we still has a couple of important issues to address," Lacroix said.
These include an reiteration of the territorial integrity of Georgia and "the modalities whereby Russian forces would remain after the withdrawal pending the establishment of an international mechanism," he added.
On Tuesday, France circulated its own draft which demands compliance with the cease-fire agreement and the immediate withdrawal of Russian and Georgian forces. Russia has already rejected the text.
"The council is not ready to adopt either of the resolutions," Britain's UN Ambassador John Sawers told reporters.
"These is a strong sense that the council should continue to work for consensus," Sawers said. "In order to do that, there needs to be clarity about Russian intention and Russian withdrawal, " Sawers said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2008)
