WEB DESK

The UN General Assembly has backed a call from Britain, Canada, Poland and eight other countries for Russia to withdraw its troops from a breakaway region of Moldova.

The non-binding resolution was adopted yesterday by a vote of 64 to 15 with 83 abstentions at the 193-nation assembly. The resolution urged Moscow to complete unconditionally and without further delay, the withdrawal of its troops from Moldova.

Russia, Iran, Syria and North Korea were among the 15 countries that opposed the measure. Russia sent troops to Moldova’s Trans-Dniester region after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union to quell fighting in the Russian-speaking area that declared independence from Chisinau, the Moldovan capital.