Fri, 29 Aug 2008,

Russia has slammed what it calls the UN Security Council's hypocritical stance on the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin has accused the world body of adopting a double standard approach in dealing with the issue.

He said members of the Council are ignorant about the essence of the Caucasus conflict, Russia Today reported on Friday.

The remarks were made after a Thursday's meeting of the Security Council during which the Western powers criticized Moscow's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"Russia violated the security zone patrolled by UN peacekeeping forces deployed by the UN Security Council," said Alejandro Daniel Wolff, US Representative to the UN. "In Abkhazia, Russia is violating not only the territorial integrity of Georgia, but also the integrity of this Council."

The US also said Russian troops should have never entered the territory of Georgia, a sovereign member of the international community.

Churkin, however, hit back by referring to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.

"I would like to ask the distinguished representative of the United States about....Weapons of Mass Destruction. Have you found them in Iraq yet or are you still looking for them"? Churkin said.

Churkin, however, said the international community had failed to act in response to Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia earlier this month.

"The US and some European states promised (Georgian President) Mr Saakashvili NATO's protection and have started supplying him with new weapons. It obviously invites fresh provocations," the Russian envoy said.

He also said that Moscow had called for a ceasefire in the early hours of the conflict but no one had supported it.

SB/DT


LinK:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=67878§ionid=351020602