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Russia and China on Saturday blocked the latest United Nations Security Council attempt at passing a resolution on Syria.

A total of 3,021 Afghan civilians had been killed in 2011, said United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its annual report released here on Saturday.

Azerbaijan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC is recognition of its role in world arena, Itar-Tass quotes Russian deputy Foreign minister Gennady Gatilov as saying.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) will hold the first working session in 2012 on Wednesday. Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, which were elected to the organization for 2012-2013 during the elections held at the General Assembly in October 2011, assumed their authorities as the UNSC non-permanent members on Jan.1.

The International Atomic energy Agency's (IAEA) unwillingness to reply to Iran's invitation from Yukiya Amano to visit Iran's nuclear facilities is the consequence of lacking transparency in Iran's position and continuance of this country's suspicious nuclear activities, Iranian expert Reza Taghizadeh told Trend.

Georgia signed an agreement with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to provide financial assistance to the program. As the Georgian Foreign Ministry told Trend on Monday, $100,000 of Georgia’s national contribution will be spent for the development and the protection of the Republic of Ecuador.

The U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to redouble efforts to implement sanctions against Iran, saying tougher action could slow the country's nuclear program and "show Iran there is a price to pay for its deception".

Afghanistan’s rebels Taliban have asked the United Nations and other international organizations to question the US officials who were "involved in the invasion of Iraq and killing of Iraqis," the movement said Tuesday.

The U.S. policy toward Iran is conducted in two directions, spokesman for the U.S. State Department Alan Eyre said in an interview with Trend today.