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Russia will soon request consultations with BTWC countries on US biolaboratories

Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that Russia intend to activate mechanisms under Articles V and VI of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

MOSCOW, June 12. /TASS/. Russia plans to request consultations with the countries participating in the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in the near future in connection with activities of US biological laboratories in the post-Soviet space, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said in an interview with TASS.

"In the near future, we intend to activate mechanisms under Articles V and VI of the Convention, which provide for consultations between the states - parties to the BTWC in resolving any issues regarding the purpose of the Convention or in connection with the implementation of its provisions, as well as cooperation in conducting any investigations into possible violations of obligations under the BTWC," she said.

According to Russia’s information, the United States has deployed a network of biological laboratories in a number of countries neighboring Russia, where, under the auspices of the Pentagon, work is being done on dangerous viruses. The US claims that the laboratories act in the interests of the security of the United States and its allies, and rejects possible creation of biological weapons in these institutions.

In particular, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that in addition to Ukraine and Georgia, US-funded biological laboratories are located in Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asian countries.

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