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STORY: UN / SYRIA CEASEFIRE
TRT: 02:31
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 30 DECEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
30 DECEMBER 2016, NEW YORK CITY
2. Pan left, Churkin approaching stakeout
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“Today we had, I think, a very useful and constructive discussion in consultations where we explained the deal and answered some questions of our colleagues in the Security Council. They made some recommendations to improve the text of the draft. I am going to be in touch with Turkish colleague right away. I think those recommendations can be easily absorbed into the draft. So our intention is to make those additions to the text, and then to put the text in blue, and to go for a vote tomorrow morning.”
4. Wide shot, Churkin listening to question
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“The entire year we spent with the United States discussing the possibility of separating the moderate opposition from Jabhat Al Nusra and ISIL, but the US representatives we always extremely elusive about the actual location of the so-called moderate opposition. Our suspicion was that they were not able to separate Nursa from the so-called moderate opposition groups they have been supporting. But now it has been accomplished. Now our military has a clear understand of who is who and who is where.”
6. Wide shot, Churkin at stakeout
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“So we expect the United Nations to be fully involved in the preparation of the meeting in Astana and if they are successful they could move on to Geneva as far as I am concerned. So we don’t see any competition there or overlapping of the two processes. As you know, Staffan De Mistura had trouble reconvening the talks, so Russia and Turkey obviously decided to give the United Nations a hand in pushing things forward; and this is what we see happening.”
8. Wide shot, Churkin listening to question
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“I think it is quite scandalous that they chose to go after our kids. They know full well that those two facilities, which they mentioned in their notes, they are vacation facilities for our kids. And this is Christmas time; this is a vacation time for our schools from the first of January to the tenth of January. This is the time that the kids go to those facilities, so to block our access to them just while the holidays were starting, to me, was rather cynical. So here go their family values.”
10. Pan right, Churkin leaving stakeout
Russian ambassador Vilaty Churkin said his delegation along with their Turkish counterparts intended on putting a draft resolution to a vote at the Security Council tomorrow morning to endorse a ceasefire deal in Syria.
Speaking to journalist today (30 Dec) following closed consultation at the Security Council, Churkin said the discussion was “very useful and constructive”. He added that recommendations to improve the text by members of the Council could “be easily absorbed into the draft” resolution.
The Russian ambassador confirmed that Al Nursa Front and ISIL were not part of the ceasefire deal and the fight against the terrorist groups “must continue”. He said delegates representing some 60,000 fighters which control a “large chunk of the territory of Syria” had in fact agreed to the deal adding that initial indications showed the ceasefire was “holding adequately.”
Churkin said arrangements to maintain the ceasefire were “recorded on the maps” which was a “very serious distinction” from previous negotiation. He said in previous discussions over the course of the year, United States representatives were “very elusive about the actual location of the so-called moderate opposition.”
The deal brokered by Russia and Turkey commits the Syrian government and the opposition to a ceasefire across Syria and direct negotiations to take place between the Government and opposition in the Kazakhstani capital Astana late January. Churkin stressed that this effort did not overlap the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura’s call to talking on 8th February, rather came as a decision from the two countries to give the organization a “hand in pushing things forward.”
Asked about the recent actions taken by the US government in response for alleged Russian involvement in the hacking of emails related to the November elections, Churkin said it was “quite scandalous that they chose to go after our kids.” He said access restrictions to Russian owned facilities in Long Island, which came at a time when children were on vacation from school, was “rather cynical.”
