Russia will not speak at the UN Security Council meeting on the grain deal in protest of the United Kingdom blocking an Orthodox priest from briefing a separate meeting on the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by Kiev authorities, Russian deputy envoy to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Wednesday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2023) Russia will not speak at the UN Security Council meeting on the grain deal in protest of the United Kingdom blocking an Orthodox priest from briefing a separate meeting on the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by Kiev authorities, Russian deputy envoy to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Wednesday.
Originally, the UN Security Council was scheduled to hold one meeting on Wednesday morning. The Russia-requested meeting was to focus on the persecution of the UOC. Russia requested three briefers - a UN representative, UOC Archbishop Gedeon and a Ukrainian writer. The latter two have been persecuted in Ukraine for their religious and political views, Polyanskiy said.
The UK, which holds the council's presidency for the month of July, said Tuesday that the discussion on the persecution of the church will be followed by a meeting on the grain deal. On Wednesday, UK Deputy Permanent Representative James Kariuki said that Russia should limit itself to only one briefer representing civil society.
Russia protested and asked to put the participation of Gedeon to a procedural vote. The vote blocked Gedeon's participation, with only three UNSC members voting in favor and the rest abstaining.
"In sign of protest against the UK's attempts to sideline our briefer and prevent him from participating in today's Security Council meeting - despite the fact that this candidate is fully in the compliance with the Rule 39 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the UN Security Council and he has competence on issues of the agenda - we will not speak in the next meeting to be held," Polyanskiy told the UN Security Council.
