WASHINGTON, September 28 (Sputnik) — The United States is determined to destroy its entire declared chemical weapons stockpile by 2023, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the United States is not meeting its obligations on eliminating chemical weapons and has delayed it thrice citing lack of funds, yet Russia expects to fulfill its international obligations.
"The U.S. government continues to focus on destroying the remaining portion of the chemical weapons stockpile stored in Pueblo, Colorado, and Richmond, Kentucky," the spokesperson said on Wednesday. "The United States remains committed to the complete destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile by the end of 2023."
The last portion of Russia's 40,000 tons of stockpiles of chemical warfare agents, which was contained in two artillery shells, was destroyed earlier on Wednesday at the Kizner facility in Udmurtia.
The Russian president also expressed hope that the OPCW would continue its work with the international community in order to make the world a more stable, reliable and safe place.
In turn, OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu congratulated Russia for the total elimination of stockpiles of chemical weapons in the country, calling it "an important achievement."
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the first multilateral agreement in history that stipulates the elimination of an entire class of weapons of mass destruction during a fixed period. The CWC has an unlimited term and aims to eliminate chemical weapons and ban their production and use. The Convention has been signed by 192 states to date.
