UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to vote Saturday morning on a draft resolution, which calls for immediate and unhindered access of humanitarian aid in war-torn Syria.
The 15-nation council is to meet at 11:00 a.m. EST (1600GMT) for the vote on the draft resolution, sponsored by Australia, Luxembourg and Jordan, and backed by Britain, France and the United States.
The draft resolution was tabled at the U.N.’s most powerful body late Wednesday and Russia, a permanent council member with veto power, requested extra time in order to get instructions from Moscow, diplomats said.
Russia had also floated its own draft language. Council members met several times behind closed doors for intense negotiations to try to reconcile the two drafts, diplomats here said.
Since the Syrian crisis broke out in March 2011, Russia, together with China, has vetoed three West-proposed resolutions.
Russia remains opposed to any threat of sanctions against Syria in fear of unilateral sanctions further escalating an already serious humanitarian situation in the conflict-plagued country.
