Russia Calls for Resumption of In-Person UN Security Council Meetings - Nebenzia

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2021) Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia on Wednesday called on the UN Security Council to switch its meetings from virtual to in-person format.

"I would like to express my regret having to do with the fact that the Security Council, yet once again to conduct the discussion on important issues of maintaining international peace and security, is using the virtual format for that," Nebenzia said during a meeting on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria. "We do not think this is justifiable.

"I call upon the Vietnamese presidency [of the UN Security Council] and the upcoming [in May] Chinese presidency to take practical steps to switch our meetings into in-person meetings in the Security Council Chamber," Nebenzia said.

Nebenzia said convening meetings at the Security Council Chamber in the UN headquarters in New York is safe, given that last October, when the COVID-19 situation in New York was far worse, the Security Council managed to hold ten in-person meetings.

"Being overly cautious on the part of our colleagues can cast an unfavorable light on this Security Council, as compared to our colleagues in the General Assembly, who regularly have-in person meetings in their chamber. Nothing is stopping us from doing the same," Nebenzia said.

The UN Security Council has ceased to meet in person in March last year, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in New York.