Russia to propose changes to UN Syria draft - Reuters (not PressTV)

[tabatha]

By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS | Fri Feb 3, 2012 2:44pm EST

(Reuters) - U.N. Security Council envoys awaited proposed amendments from Moscow on Friday to the latest version of a European-Arab draft resolution endorsing an Arab League plan for Syria, and envoys said the issue would be decided by Russia and the United States.

Morocco circulated a revised draft on Thursday after Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told a closed council session he would veto it if it were put to a vote on Friday with a phrase saying the body "fully supports" the Arab plan calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside, diplomats said.

A senior Western envoy, however, said that by the end of Thursday's meeting the 15 ambassadors had agreed in principle on the new text, which includes the phrase "fully supports," but that a final decision rested with national capitals.

Churkin was expected to deliver Russian suggestions for further revisions later on Friday, diplomats told Reuters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/03/us-syria-un-idUSTRE8121K920120203

[dipsydoodle]

1. Russia still against anti-Syria UN resolution - Press TV (not Reuters)

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Friday that despite changes taking some of Moscow's concerns into account, the country could not support the text in its current form.

“Some of our concerns and the concerns of those who think the same as us have been taken into consideration but all the same this is not enough for us to be able to support it in this form," Gatilov told Interfax news agency.

"We still have a whole number of concerns over the content of this text and we will be ready to continue consultations on the draft resolution," he said adding that "We are ready to continue work on modifying it, taking into consideration and based on our principled positions."

Gatilov's remarks came shortly after a senior US State Department official said Washington was "cautiously optimistic" about winning Russia's support for the draft resolution.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/224689.html

[tabatha]

2. I stated "not PressTV", because that is the source I first posted.

Maybe you missed it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002263650

[dipsydoodle]

3. I did indeed

I made the mistake of thinking you were implying that the Press article was slanted.

Apologies.