UN / CHURKIN

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin announces that Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will chair a debate on the Middle East on 11 May, aiming to give a "new impetus" for peace prospects in the region. He also comments on North Korea, and the threat of military force against Iran by Israel. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:06
• Production Date: 4 May 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA; IRAN; MIDDLE EAST
• MAMS Id: U090504c

Description

STORY: UN / CHURKIN
TRT: 2.06
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 4 MAY 2009, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – UNTV – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

4 MAY 2009, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Wide shot, audience
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations:
“In my national capacity I can say that we are concerned about the need to maintain negotiations which have been taking place over the years. And as I mentioned when I was describing our view of the upcoming meeting, that the meeting will discuss the ways to implement the council’s decisions on this issue taken previously. And you are all aware of the nature of those decisions, so yes, we’ll be looking to reaffirmation of the council’s positions and we expect that is going to be reflected in the presidential statement but we’re in the process of discussion so I don’t want to go into details.”
5. Med shot, audience
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations:
“The Security Council has not discussed this particular aspect of the problem surrounding the situation in the area. But in my national capacity I can tell you that we are categorically against threats against Iran or contemplating any military force against Iran. There are diplomatic tracks which are very much alive and we hope to be able to further pursue them and to have them successfully accomplished in dealing with the issue associated with the Iranian nuclear program.”
7. Med shot, audience
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations:
“I think I can say that it’s the position of at least five of the six participants in the six-party talks that it’s crucially important to return to the six-party talks, even though it’s not something we can expect happening within days. There was a missile launch, which members of the Security Council found provocative, the Security Council made a presidential statement which was very carefully drafted and we believe it was proportionate to the challenge.”
9. Wide shot, press conference ending

Storyline

Russia’s ambassador to the UN briefed journalists at UN headquarters today (4 May) as his country assumed the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of May.

Vitaly Churkin announced that Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov would chair a Security Council debate on the Middle East on 11 May, with the aim of “giving new impetus” to the peace process in the region. A presidential statement was the expected outcome of the meeting.

Asked whether the presidential statement would include a reaffirmation of the goal of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, Churkin noted that Russia was “concerned about the need to maintain negotiations which have been taking place over the years”. He said the meeting would discuss ways to implement the council’s previous decisions on the issue, “so yes, we’ll be looking to reaffirmation of the council’s positions and we expect that is going to be reflected in the presidential statement”.

In response to a question on the threat of military force being used by Israel against Iran, Churkin said the Security Council had not discussed “this particular aspect of the problem” but that Russia was “categorically against threats against Iran or contemplating any military force against Iran”. He urged the diplomatic track to be pursued instead, which he said was “very much alive”.

On the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Churkin said it was the position of “at least five of the six participants” that it was “crucially important” to return to the six-party talks, but conceded that this was “not something we can expect happening within days”. Churkin added that the presidential statement drafted after “there was a missile launch” was “proportionate to the challenge.”