Nepal

Nepal has continued to oppose Russian invasion of Ukraine - and in the latest move it has opposed Russia’s move to hold “referendums” to annex four Ukrainian regions.

During a voting in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Nepal voted in favour of a resolution that calls on “all States, the UN and international organisations not to recognise any Russian annexation claim and demands immediate reversal of Russia’s annexation declaration”.

The Assembly voting follows Russia’s move to hold “referendums” in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine. The resolution notes that they are now occupied by Russia “as a result of aggression, violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence”.

The resolution demands that Moscow end its "attempted illegal annexation".

The Assembly saw 143 Member States, including Nepal, backing the resolution, with five voting against, and 35 abstentions, according to UN News. Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria voted against. Several African countries, China and India abstained.

The General Assembly floated the resolution after Russia used veto in the Security Council to justify its attempted annexation.

During the General Assembly debate, Nepal's Ambassador to the UN, New York, Amrit Rai said Nepal’s position on Ukraine is clear. “Principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non-aggression enshrined in the UN charter are inviolable,” Nepal Mission to the UN tweeted him as saying.

Message to Russia

The resolution welcomes and “expresses its strong support” for the continued efforts by the Secretary-General and Member States, to de-escalate the current situation in search of peace through dialogue, negotiation and mediation, reports UN News.

The resolution follows renewed tension in Ukraine, where Russia on Monday launched dozens of missiles targeting civilian areas of multiple Ukrainian cities, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries. The Russian attacks are perceived as retaliation for the bombing of Russia’s bridge to Crimea on Saturday.

According to UN News, the Assembly debate began with a procedural vote on a measure which Russia had flagged, proposing that the Ukrainian draft resolution being debated, be voted on by secret ballot, not through an open recorded vote.

The Albanian proposal received 107 votes in favour, with 13 against, and 39 abstentions, with the country’s representative arguing that it would establish a “dangerous precedent” if such a substantive issue of peace and security was voted on in secret.

Nepal has been opposing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Soon after it began in February, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Nepal opposes any use of force against a sovereign country in any circumstance and believes in peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy and dialogue.”