Russia Opposes OPCW Draft Budget For 2021 As All Its Notes Ignored - Envoy To OPCW

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2020) Russia does not support the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) draft budget for 2021, as its member states have ignored all recommendations by the Russian delegation on the issue, Russian Permanent Representative to the OPCW Alexander Shulgin said on Monday.

"Unfortunately, we have to note that our organization at this point does not have a consensus on the program and budget for 2021 and this is well known," Shulgin said at the 25th Conference of the State Parties (CSP) of the OPCW.

The envoy recalled that there was no consensus at the preliminary consultation and the member states were not able to reach any mutual understanding during the last executive council in October.

"We were also not listened to and all of our comments and notes were ignored ... And for these reasons, which I have just spoken about, we cannot support this draft," Shulgin added.

Last November, during the 24th CSP, the participants adopted the organization's budget for 2020 despite the fact that representatives of Russia, China, Syria, Iran, Cuba and other countries voted against it. Back then, the Russian delegation explained its decision by saying that the budget envisions spending for activities beyond the OPCW jurisdiction, namely, for the attributive mechanism, created in summer 2018. Russia believes only the United Nations Security Council has the right to identify and punish those responsible for the use of chemical weapons.