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UNSC remains deadlocked over Georgia
A two-hour closed door meeting yesterday afternoon failed to move the members nearer a consensus and if anything, the positions were hardening.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) remained deadlocked over Georgia despite several meetings since the conflict began with Russia and western nations opposing each other's draft resolutions and each accusing the other of paralyzing the 15-member body on this important issue.
Diplomats said that France, whose original draft is being opposed by Moscow, is working on fresh resolution which would try to harmonize the two opposing drafts even as most members stressed the need to have resolution which could be adopted unanimously.
A two-hour closed door meeting yesterday afternoon failed to move the members nearer a consensus and if anything, the positions were hardening.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow plans to put its resolution in the blue -- official jargon which means formally moving the draft on which it could ask for vote anytime. But western diplomats were not convinced that Russia would seek vote immediately as they calculated that it does not have requisite nine votes for the resolution to be adopted even if none of the other four permanent member vetoes it.
The veto wielding permanent members include the United States, Britain, China, Russia and France.
Churkin says that the Russian draft should be acceptable to all as it just calls for implementation of the six-point plan agreed to between France and Moscow. But the Western diplomats argue the Council needs to go beyond that and just cannot act as a rubber stamp.
