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Russia Charges That the U.K. Is Violating the Chemical Weapons Convention
15 March 2018
FROM EIR DAILY ALERT EIRNS—The British government is claiming that it is acting in a totally lawful manner with respect to its accusations against Russia on the poisoning of MI6 double agent, former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Col. Sergei Skripal, but the Russians are making a strong case that it’s not true. Russia’s Ambassador to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons Alexander Shulgin issued a very strong statement, posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website, during a meeting of the OPCW’s Executive Council in Brussels, on March 13. He said the British authorities’ allegations are “absolutely unacceptable” and that the British government should abandon the language of ultimatums “and return to the legal framework of the chemical convention, which makes it possible to resolve this kind of situation.” He said that if London has serious reasons to believe that Russia was involved in the poisoning
The Convention allows up to ten days for a member to respond to clarifications requested of it. “As such, the ultimatum’s demand that information be provided immediately, by the end of today, is absolutely unacceptable,” Shulgin said. May reported to the Commons on March 12 that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had summoned the Russian ambassador and had given Russia 24 hours to “immediately provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok program ... by the end of tomorrow.” Shulgin stressed that within the walls of the OPCW, one must use facts, not hysteria, and therefore, the Russians will demand, as is their right under the CWC, the material evidence of Russian involvement in the poisoning.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also issued a statement charging that Britain is in violation of the CWC.
He said yesterday that Moscow has received no inquiry from the U.K. about the agent allegedly used in the Salisbury case. |