By staff and agency

Russia says building coalitions in Persian Gulf may lead to sad consequences

August 21, 2019 - 20:47

Russia’s acting envoy to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky warned on Tuesday that building coalitions in the Persian Gulf may lead to sad consequences, inviting UN Security Council member states to discuss its Concept for collective security in the region.

“A scenario of building coalitions of interest leads to sad consequences,” TASS quoted him as saying in open debates on the Middle East at UN Security Council.

He said, “With an understanding of the relevance of developing a sustainable mechanism for collective security in the region on the basis of equal dialogue, Russia has proposed and presented, including at the UN platform, a Concept for collective security in the Persian Gulf.”

He noted that the proposal is “aimed at unblocking conflict situations and at developing measures of trust and control.”

“When it comes to Russian proposals, they can and should be adjusted and specified. In a sense, they represent an invitation for a constructive dialogue on ways to achieve long-term stabilization in the Persian Gulf,” Polyansky said.

A roundtable on starting expert dialogue on this topic will be held in Moscow on September 18-19, he said.

On July 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry presented a Concept for collective security in the Persian Gulf. The proposal envisages forming an initiative group for organizing an international conference on security and cooperation in the Persian Gulf, which would later lead to establishing an organization for security and cooperation in the region. Moreover, Moscow put forward a proposal to create demilitarized zones in the region and suggested to give up permanent stationing of groups from non-regional countries, as well as to set up coordination between militaries.

The United States has called on its European and Asian allies to form a maritime force to supposedly monitor safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf.

President Hassan Rouhani has said such a move will not help regional security.

So far, only Britain, Israel, Australia and Bahrain have agreed to join the coalition.

NA/PA