UN Security Council’s Decision on Nord Stream Sets Dangerous Precedent — Diplomat

Russia will continue to press for a comprehensive, transparent and unbiased investigation into all aspects of the sabotage acts, including identification of its perpetrators, their sponsors, organizers and abettors, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said

STOCKHOLM, March 29. /TASS/. The UN Security Council’s decision not to support the Russian-Chinese resolution on an international investigation into last year’s sabotage attacks on the Nord Steam pipelines is creating a dangerous precedent, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin has said.

"Efforts of Western countries have created a dangerous precedent. Instead of consolidating the international struggle against terrorism and crime, they have set a course towards differentiating it on the basis of nationality, devaluing related international documents and political agreements," he said in an interview to Denmark’s Ritzaus Bureau news agency, published on Tuesday.

"Supported by the international law and the existing diplomatic mechanisms, Russia will continue to press for a comprehensive, transparent and unbiased investigation into all aspects of the sabotage acts, including identification of its perpetrators, their sponsors, organizers and abettors," the Russian diplomat added.

In his words, Western nations explained their decision to reject the initiative by alleging that a resolution of this kind will be premature as long as national investigations into the matter are ongoing.

"However, the proposed UN Security Council resolution created no obstacles for national investigations. At the same time, Denmark, Germany and Sweden’s reluctance to share any information with the Russian side and their intention to create obstacles for an independent international investigation have given rise to reasonable doubts about trustworthiness of national investigations," Barbin added.

On Monday, the UN Security Council did not support a resolution by Russia and China on an international investigation into the sabotage at the Nord Stream pipelines. The document was supported by three countries, with no votes against and 12 countries abstaining. Thus, the resolution did not garner the nine votes necessary for approval. Russia, China and Brazil voted for it, while Albania, the UK, Gabon, Ghana, Malta, Mozambique, the UAE, the US, France, Switzerland, Ecuador and Japan abstained. Belarus, Venezuela, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria and Eritrea were also among the resolution’s coauthors but they are not members of the UN Security Council and did not participate in the vote.

The resolution’s draft proposed to entrust UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with establishing an independent international investigation commission "to conduct a comprehensive, transparent and impartial international investigation of all aspects of the act of sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines — including identifying its perpetrators, sponsors, organizers and accomplices.".