The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Friday that calls for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah and demands the withdrawal of Israel troops from south Lebanon.
"Russia will continue to work perseveringly toward a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions," Vitaly Churkin said.
Russia previously submitted to the UN Security Council a draft resolution on Lebanon calling for an immediate and complete ceasefire for 72 hours.
Vitaly Churkin said the Russian delegation had decided to initiate a three-day "humanitarian ceasefire" as no consensus had been reached on a resolution drafted by France and the United States on ending hostilities or principles of a sustainable political settlement.
He said there was no rivalry and that if the Americans and the French proposed a more fundamental draft resolution, Russia would give way.
The main stumbling block in the original French-U.S. draft resolution on the armed conflict, which broke out July 12, was that it contained no provision on the pullout of Israel troops from southern Lebanon.
