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Russian diplomat comments on Skripal poisoning case

The Russian Foreign Ministry has invited all the foreign ambassadors in Moscow to attend a meeting on the Skripal poisoning case

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. London is to blame nobody knows what substance was used to poison former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

"We would like to stress that the media has published many opinions, comments and even "recollections" by experts on this subject," she said. "Russia’s official position was expressed in the UN Security Council, the OSCE, the OPCW and so on and so forth. Regrettably, contrary to numerous requests addressed to London nobody still knows what substance was used in Salisbury."

"All speculations on this score distract attention from the main issue - Britain’s failure to present to Russia any facts or evidence, except for boorish charges," Zaharova said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has invited all the foreign ambassadors in Moscow to attend a meeting with the top officials and experts of its department for nonproliferation and arms control for discussing the case. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 21.

"We’ve invited all the ambassadors accredited in Russia to a meeting with the top officials and experts of the department for nonproliferation and arms control," Zakharova said. "The main theme will be the situation around the UK’s allegations on the use of a nerve agent on its territory."

"We plan to bring the Russian viewpoint to the official representatives of foreign countries, to answer the questions they might have and to ask them our own questions."

Because of the stance taken by London, no one knows to date what type of substance the former colonel Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with, Zakharova indicated.

"We’d also like to note the impressive quantities of opinions, assessments and even ‘recollections’ on the preset issue appearing in the media," she said. "The Russian side voiced the official information on its part at the UN Security Council, the OSCE, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemicals Weapons and so on but, unfortunately, no one knows exactly to date in spite of our numerous appeals to London what kind of substance was used in Salisbury."

"Consequently, all the allegations only veil the main issue, which is the UK’s reluctance to provide any materials to Russia on the background of showering it with loutish accusations," Zakharova said.