-says President Ali

ALTHOUGH Guyana abstained from voting on the suspension of Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council, President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali on Friday emphasised that the country’s position on the invasion of Ukriane remains the same.

“Let me be clear. We are very strong against this war, we are very strong against the invasion in Ukraine, we stand solidly with the rest of the world in condemning the war and in asking Russia to go back to diplomacy and in having this war brought to an end. That is without any doubt,” the President said.

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted to suspend Russia from the organisation’s human rights body, based on allegations that Russian soldiers attacked and killed civilians during the invasion of Ukraine.

Like Guyana, Barbados, Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, also abstained.

In total, there were 93 votes cast in favour of the resolution and 24 against, while 58 countries abstained.

According to President Ali, Guyana is working along with CARICOM and its position was based on a decision at the CARICOM level.

“We are working with CARICOM. We are coordinating an information flow and so to understand what is happening in the rest of the region because this was something that came up very quickly, you would appreciate that, and its weighty decision,” he said adding:

“This matter was discussed among [CARICOM] heads and there is an ongoing process. There are two things that are happening. The UN has launched a process of doing the investigation to come upon the factual basis on what is happening in terms of human rights violations and what we have said is that once that report comes out then the findings of that report must be respected,” he added.