All news

Russia urges nations to share information on military biological activity — diplomat

Moscow expresses serious concern over Washington's military biological activity both on US territory and outside, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Artyom Geodakyan/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Russia calls on member states of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to accept its initiative to make a commitment to share information on military biological activity outside these countries, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

"The Russian side expresses its serious concern, and does this more than once, over Washington's military biological activity both on US territory and outside," the diplomat pointed out.

"Owing to the absence of a verification mechanism in this Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention whose elaboration Washington has been blocking over the years already, there is no legal possibility to oblige the US to share information on the researches going on at bases," Zakharova said.

"For the purposes of removing claims related to fulfilling the Convention’s provisions, we consistently stand for stepping up efforts to enhance the Convention’s regime, in particular, by adopting a legally binding protocol with an effective verification mechanism. This would also be facilitated by the Russian initiative on improving confidence-building measures within the framework of the Convention that stipulates that the member states should share information on military biological activity outside the national territory," the spokeswoman said.

Russia also deems it possible to involve the mechanism of Article 5 of the Convention, which stipulates that the member states should consult with each other on resolving issues related to the Convention, the Russian diplomat pointed out.

"The concern means not simply words and sounds but implies a whole range of practical steps we are taking: interaction with our neighbors, negotiations on these issues and formulating the agenda for international organizations," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.