BALADI NEWS
Russia and China clashed with other UN Security Council nations over the delivery of humanitarian aid across borders and conflict lines to more than one million Syrians in mainly rebel-held areas.
Since 2014, the Security Council has sent aid through four border crossings - Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa in Turkey, al-Yarubiyah in Iraq, and al-Ramtha in Jordan.
The sponsors of this year's aid resolution - Germany, Belgium and Kuwait - circulated a draft that has been discussed for several weeks that would add a new crossing point in Turkey and extend cross-border operations for a year.
Russia and China, allies of Bashar al-Assad, circulated a rival resolution on Monday that seeks to close the crossing points in Iraq and Jordan, leaving only two in Turkey while not adding the third proposed in the rival resolution. And it would renew the cross-border operation for only six months.
Envoys from the 10 elected members of the Security Council, which serve two-year terms, stood outside the chamber on Tuesday to express support for renewing the cross-border "mechanism." They warned "the consequences of a non-renewal of the mechanism would be disastrous".
The 15-member council discussed the rival resolutions behind closed doors on Wednesday.
Russian Ambassador Nebenzia Vassily Alekseevich said the sponsors' resolution "has little to do with the real situation on the ground" and is "unacceptable and inviable," indicating Moscow would veto it if it is put to a vote.
Britain's ambassador, Karen Pierce, countered "in the last few years the situation has not changed materially to obviate the need for cross-border aid".
Last year, Russia and China abstained in the 13-0 vote authorising the crossing points.
The mandate for the current resolution expires on January 10 and diplomats said they expect tough negotiations.
Source: Al Jazeera.