By RIA Novosti
United Nations : Russia has blocked a move for a UN Security Council vote condemning Moscow for an alleged violation of Georgian airspace, calling it premature.
Georgia accused Russia last week of violating its airspace and dropping a missile at a radar station near the border with breakaway South Ossetia. Russia has denied the charges and called them provocations to disrupt peace efforts in the conflict zone, where its peacekeepers are deployed.
The US has introduced two draft statements in the Security Council deploring the alleged attack and supporting Georgia’s demands to hold an emergency meeting on the issue.
But Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said it was premature to draw any conclusions about the Aug 6 incident before Russian and Georgian experts jointly study the circumstances.
“During the discussion (at the UN), some delegations referred to one-sided reports (of the incident). That approach did not meet the majority support,” Churkin said.
Georgia earlier had claimed an international group of independent experts confirmed the airspace violation was from the Russian side.
Russia continues to deny involvement in the air incident, and Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone have said the aircraft came from Georgia and returned there.