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Russia concerned over biological activity of US Defence Department near Russian borders

Russian Foreign Ministry noted that U.S. State Department's report questions Russia’s observance of the country’s commitments

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 19 (Itar-Tass) - Russia is concerned over the biological activity of the U.S. Defence Department near the Russian borders, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Friday in comments on the report, which the U.S. State Department made public on July 12 and which is devoted to the observance of the international agreements over the control for weapons, non-proliferation and disarmament for 2012.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the report puts into question again Russia’s observance of the country’s commitments under the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons, meanwhile, “the proof is not produced as always.”

“Meanwhile, the U.S. concerns would have been eliminated long ago and completely, if the U.S. had not blocked the creation of a verification mechanism within the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons,” the foreign ministry said. This mechanism “would permit to lift many questions, which are posed to the U.S. over the involvement of several American organizations in a large-scale biological activity of dual purpose. As it is reported the results of this kind of activity can be used for the purposes contradicting Article I of the Convention of the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons,” the ministry reported.

“Meanwhile, there is not documentary confirmation that all facilities, which are under jurisdiction or control of the United States and which were earlier involved in the military biological programs, are destroyed or reoriented for peaceful purposes under Article 2 of the Convention of the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons,” the Russian Foreign Ministry went on to say.

“We also have serious concerns over biological activity of the U.S. Defence Department near the Russian borders,” the Russian top diplomatic agency reported.

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