Russia Says No Plans to Leave OPCW Amid Growing Challenges

Russia doesn’t plan to withdraw from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), despite deepening internal challenges.

The announcement was made by Russia’s Permanent Representative to the organization Vladimir Tarabrin, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

"Obviously, the OPCW is facing serious problems in its work. But it is in our nation’s interests to be a member, first of all in the economic and industrial spheres," he said, adding that Russia exports many chemical industry products that are covered by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

Apart from that, Russia imports various chemicals and equipment for its pharmaceutical, machine-building and other sectors, he noted.

The Russian diplomat recalled that the OPCW’s original mission was to provide assistance to the CWC member countries in their economic and technical development, which is committed to paper in the document itself. But now, Western countries are deliberately seeking to prevent other countries from getting access to new technologies and products through the use of illegitimate restrictions and sanctions. In such an environment, Russia will continue its efforts within the OPCW to bring it back to the principles of mutual respect of the interests of all of its member states and consensus-based decision-making.