
Russia Blocks Security Council Debate on Missile Incident
Russia has again blocked the UN Security Council from issuing a U.S.-backed statement deploring the August 6 missile incident.
Senior U.N. peacekeeping official Hedi Annabi briefed the UN Security Council about the missile incident on August 16.
“We thought it was important to have a statement. Some others, particularly Russia, were not prepared today to have a formal statement,” Reuters quoted U.S. envoy Jackie Sanders as saying on August 16. “We support the idea of a formal session of the Security Council… We will be pushing to have that as soon as possible.”
Georgia claims a Russian aircraft crossed into its airspace and dropped a guided anti-radar rocket deep into its territory. Tbilisi has requested that the Security Council respond.
“It would be premature for the Council to take any kind of a stand on this matter,” Reuters and Associated Press quoted Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin as saying on August 16.
On August 9 the UN Security Council said it needed more information before it would act on a Georgian request for an emergency debate on the missile incident.