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Russian Mission to OPCW Proposes to Make Toxic Agents Data More Classified

HAGUE (Sputnik) - The Russian Delegation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is proposing to change the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to make the information on toxic chemicals more classified, the relevant document, obtained by Sputnik, has said.
Sputnik

"Considering the significant number of the scientific publications on toxic chemicals which pose a threat to the objectives of the CWC that have appeared over the last 20 years, the Russian Federation believes it is necessary to recommend the following: for the purposes of taking measures to enhance the CWC, the Director-General of the OPCW TS [Technical Secretariat] should prepare and introduce at the soonest OPCW executive Council meeting, in accordance with the paragraph 5 of the Article XV the Convention, a draft decision providing for the development of the changes to the Annex on the schedules of chemicals," the document read.

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The meeting of the OPCW Executive Council has been convened at London’s initiative and is devoted to the discussion of the organization's report on the nerve agent poisoning case of former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

On April 12, the OPCW submitted a report to the members of the organization on the findings of the Salisbury incident’s investigation. According to the information received, the OPCW has confirmed London's conclusions about the nature of the substance that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with in early March. At the same time, the details of the report have not been disclosed, since it is available only to representatives of OPCW member countries.

The UK has accused Moscow of preparing the attack with what UK experts insisted was the A-234 nerve agent. Russia has refuted having any role in the poisoning, pointing to the lack of evidence provided by London to substantiate its accusations.

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