Russia calls for strict implementation of UN Security Council resolution on cutting off terrorists’ illegal oil revenues, Russian Foreign Ministry says

MOSCOW, February 12 /TASS/. Russia is calling for strict implementation of the UN Security Council resolution aimed to cut off illegal revenues of terrorist organizations gained from trade in oil and petroleum products extracted in the territories of Syria and Iraq, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "We hope that all members of the world community are going to implement strictly and unfailingly the provisions of the adopted resolution, which has become a real and effective contribution to genuine collective efforts to counteract a terrorist threat and strengthen the central coordinating role of the United Nations Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "This international cooperation should be based on international law without politicizing the matter and without the practice of ‘double standards’ and division of terrorists in ‘good’ and ‘bad’," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. On February 12, all the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council unanimously voted for the Russia-proposed resolution 2199 designed to cut off the "Islamic State" terrorists’ revenues which they gain from illegal trade in oil and antiquities as well as from ransoms they receive for captured hostages. The document’s co-authors include more than 50 countries -almost all members of the UN Security Council, including 5 permanent members, as well as many influential states representing various parts of the world. "The resolution logically continues the Council’s activities in 2014, in which we /Russia/ took an active part, designed to strengthen the international legal basis for counteracting a terrorist threat posed by the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" /ISIL/ and the Jabhat al-Nusra front," the Russian Foreign Ministry explained. "The resolution is aimed at involving the instrument of sanctions which the UN Security Council has at its disposal to curb the conclusion of oil deals with the terrorist organizations in question," the Russian Foreign Ministry said adding the fact that ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists were significantly increasing their revenues by selling hydrocarbons extracted at the seized oil fields in Syria and Iraq made the resolution particularly urgent. "Such actions will be regarded as financial support of terrorists and a ground for imposing targeted UN sanctions on individuals and physical entities involved in these criminal activities," the Russian Foreign Ministry went on to say. "The sanctions are intended to impose travel bans and block financial assets. All the states have been committed to prosecute those who assist terrorists," the ministry said. The United Nations Security Council also declared illegal contraband in precious metals; trade in objects, which have archaeological, historical, cultural, scientific and religious value and which have been taken out of Iraq since August 6, 1990 and out of Syria since March 2011. In addition to that, the resolution based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter is calling on countries to prevent terrorists from gaining direct or indirect profits from hostage-taking. Ransoms paid to the kidnappers, the document says, only encourage terrorists to continue their unlawful activities. Besides, the terrorists use this money to finance terrorist acts. Read more