MOSCOW, November 16 (RAPSI) – Vladimir Putin signed a directive instructing Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the UN Secretary General that Russia no longer intends to become a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on the directive. It reminded that ICC became the first permanent body of international criminal justice amid common efforts to maintain international peace and security, to settle ongoing conflicts and to prevent new tensions.

"Unfortunately the Court failed to meet the expectations to become a truly independent, authoritative international tribunal. The work of the Court is characterized in a principled way as ineffective and one-sided in different fora, including the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council," reads the statement. It says that during the 14 years of the Court's work it passed only four sentences having spent over a billion dollars.

The Rome Statute which established the court has been ratified by 123 countries.

Russia signed the documents in 2000 but did not ratify it. Despite not falling under jurisdiction of the court Russia continued to cooperate with it and participated in its work as an observer.

Israel, Sudan and the United States were the first to inform the UN Secretary General that they no longer intend to become states parties to the Rome Statute.

This year South Africa, Gambia and Burundi also took actions to quit the International Criminal Court. Uganda and Kenya are reportedly on their way out.