US disapproves Russian draft for arms embargo

The US has disapproved a draft resolution to the UN Security Council by Russia, which sought an arms embargo against Georgia...

The US has disapproved a draft resolution to the UN Security Council by Russia, which sought an arms embargo against Georgia aimed at ending Washington8217;s military assistance to the country.

Rejecting the resolution, Washington has said that the first step for Moscow is to reverse its decision to recognise the two breakaway regions.

Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin had on Tuesday submitted a draft resolution to the UN, seeking ban on sale of all arms and military equipment to Georgia as also on any military assistance, consultation and training.

The continuous arming of Georgia by Washington and some other countries has contributed to the 8220;aggressive action8221; of Georgian President Mikhail Saakshvili against South Ossetia, Churkin said. 8220;An arms embargo would be expedient and necessary for normalisation of the situation in the area,8221; he added.

Stressing that the embargo would help meet the aims that the EU has set for the region, he said, 8220;It is in interest of Georgia because it would lead to it stop spending money and resources on armaments. Besides, it would also stop threatening its neighbours. Churkin also accused 8220;some countries8221; of allocating large resources for rearming Georgia.

Informing about his plans to invite the representatives of Abkhazia to attend the Council meeting next month, which is to renew the mandate of UN observers there, he said he suspected they would be granted visas by the US as it is not a member State of the UN.

Churkin agreed that it would not be easy to get the Council approval of the measure because of the position of Washington.

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Meanwhile, the western diplomats saw in the resolution an attempt to turn focus away from Moscow8217;s promise to pull the troops out of areas outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia as provided under the French-brokered ceasefire agreement.

It is unclear whether Russia would bring the resolution to vote as it is bound to be vetoed by the US. The trouble began when Georgia had sent troops to assert control over South Ossetia, which had Russian and Georgian peacekeepers.