THE HAGUE, July 15. /TASS/. The Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has taken a reserved position on Ukraine’s possible use of chemical weapons, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the organization and Ambassador to the Netherlands Vladimir Tarabrin said.
"Attitudes to the reports about the Kiev regime’s crimes are different," he noted. "The Technical Secretariat is trying to keep a low profile on this matter. It was confined itself to a statement that it is collecting information it is receiving from various sources, not only from Russia and Ukraine, and verifying it. Naturally, it will send its experts if it concludes that chemical weapons were used."
"By now, according to the Technical Secretariat, there is no concrete evidence proving Russia’s statements, and well as Ukraine’s. That is why the OPCW is refraining from interfering," he said.
According to the Russian diplomat, Western countries are sparing no effort to accuse and expose Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine and then urge collective response from member states. Russia, in turn, continues informing the Technical Secretariat and member countries about violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Ukrainian nationalists, Tarabrin said.
"Developing countries are taking the data we report to the OPCE with interest, asking concrete questions. But dur to obvious reasons, they are the ‘receiving’ party," he added.