October 11, 2022
DHAKA – UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly MP called Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday (October 10, 2022) afternoon and sought Dhaka’s support in a session on Ukraine that will begin today at the UN General Assembly.
A diplomatic source in Dhaka said the new UK foreign secretary appointed in September, discussed various bilateral and global issues during the phone call.
“The major issue was Dhaka’s support for the unity of Ukraine,” he said.
According to AP, the UNGA convened yesterday in a special session to discuss Russia’s recent attempt to annex four regions of Ukraine. The session could reveal whether Russia’s international isolation is growing as its war grinds on.
“The UN Charter is clear: Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said September 29, a day ahead of a theatrical Kremlin ceremony to incorporate the territories into Russia.
Guterres said any attempt to annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would have “no legal value” and would be a “dangerous escalation.”
The following day, Russia exercised its veto in the UN Security Council to block a resolution condemning its actions. That has spurred a move to the General Assembly, where no state has a veto.
In addition to the debate, countries will be asked to state their stance on the issue by voting on a European-drafted resolution condemning Russia’s move to annex Ukrainian territory.
“It is clinically focused on the legality or illegality of what Russia is doing,” European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog told reporters of the draft text.
The final draft, seen by VOA on Friday, reiterates the secretary-general’s pronouncement and reaffirms states’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
It also clearly condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and “attempted illegal annexation” and says they are invalid under international law.