UNSC adopts plan to send observers to Syria

Moscow, April 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Saturday the draft resolution to send a group of unarmed observers to Syria to oversee the ceasefire, CNN reported.

The draft document that was supported by all the members of the UNSC, calls on the Syrian government to allow up to 30 international observers to be deployed in the country. It also urges an unimpeded freedom of movement for the observers and the ceasefire by all the parties involved in the conflict.

According to the document, the 30-strong mission may be subsequently expanded by 250 monitors.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin who was Friday among the envoys to make several amendments to the initial western-backed document, said that Russia was satisfied with the draft.

"The initial draft of the resolution under the influence of Russia and other Council's members has undergone substantive changes to make it more balanced, to proper reflect reality and to take into account the prerogatives of the government of Syria in receiving the observer mission on the territory of this country," Churkin said, adding that the resolution addressed both government and opposition to "to fully cooperate with monitors."

"We now await an urgent submission by the secretary general to the council of specific proposals to launch a broad-scale UN observers' presence after consultations with the government of Syria," the envoy added.

He also said that one Russian officer would be among the observers.

The monitors' mission follows a six-point plan to resolve the current political crisis in Syria, proposed by UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and approved by the UN Security Council.

The ceasefire that was formally came into force on Thursday in Syria is a part of the international community's efforts to end a year of deadliest clashes between opposition and government forces that claimed over 9,000 lives, according to the UN estimates.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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