China says it’s ‘regrettable’ that request of a country to speak at UNSC was not granted

PTI, Aug 17, 2021, 9:04 AM IST

China, backing its “all-weather ally” Pakistan, on Monday said it is “regrettable” that the request of a neighbouring Afghan country to speak at a UN Security Council meeting, held under India’s presidency, was not granted.

However, sources said it may be noted that the agreed format of the UN Security Council meeting was an open briefing for council members and the country concerned, which in this case is Afghanistan.
“A few Council members said in their statement that they wish to see that a greater role is played by Afghan’s neighbours and neighbouring countries. We learnt that some regional countries and Afghan’s neighbors had made a request to participate in today’s meeting. It is regrettable that their requests were not granted,” China’s deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang said.

Some regional countries had also enquired whether the present format allowed for address by non-council members. However, owing to lack of consensus among Council members, this was not agreed to, the sources said.

Alluding to remarks by Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram to reporters outside the Council, the sources said: “outburst of one non-Council member state citing alleged “India’s hatred against them” is baseless, as it reflects their lack of understanding of Council processes.” Akram spoke to reporters at the UNSC stakeout and blamed India for not allowing it to participate in the UNSC meeting. He said “India’s partisan and obstructionist actions are an illustration of the hatred for Pakistan which exists in India.” “While blocking Pakistan and other neighbours of Afghanistan from addressing the Council, the representative of a now-defunct regime was invited to speak to the Council.

“There was considerable pathos in this spectacle. (Afghan’s UN) Ambassador (Ghulam) Isaczai is an esteemed colleague but the person who appointed him here recently has fled Afghanistan… It is therefore unclear on whose behalf Ambassador Isaczai participated in the Security Council,” Akram said, referring to President Ashraf Ghani who fled the war-torn country as the Taliban took control of Kabul.