MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) — Russia has nothing to do with Syrian chemical weapons, the deputy chief of the federal directorate for the safe keeping and elimination of chemical weapons, Colonel Vladimir Mandych has said.

“As far as I know, chemical weapons have not been supplied to recipients outside Russia,” he said in reply to media questions.

Mandych recalled that Syria was one of the five UN countries that refused to sign the 1997 chemical weapons ban convention.

He pointed out that “the theme of control, use and keeping of chemical weapons must be made the focus of attention.”