Kazakhstan abstains from voting on Syria for sake of impartiality

Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov has explained Kazakhstan's stand on the UN Security Council resolution regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria in a phone call with British Secretary of State Boris Johnson, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.

"The Kazakh delegation condemned the use of chemical weapons and called for punishing the culprits in its speech at the UN Security Council," the Kazakh foreign minister said.

"At the same time, Kazakhstan decided to abstain for two reasons: first of all, Kazakhstan stands for an impartial, comprehensive and thoroughly investigation of the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria under the aegis of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) with the participation of all interested sides; second of all, Kazakhstan is hosting the intra-Syrian process in Astana, which an integral part of the international efforts towards the settlement of the Syria conflict," the report said.

The UN Security Council put to vote a draft resolution on the alleged use of weapons of mass destruction in the Syrian Idlib province on April 12 at the initiative of the United Kingdom, the United States and France. Russia vetoed the resolution, three countries abstained.