THE HAGUE, November 26. /TASS/. Russia was unable to obtain a seat at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Executive Council for 2025-2027, according to the outcome of the vote that took place during the 29th Conference of OPCW member states.
According to the president of the conference Almir Shakhovich, the two Eastern European group seats at the Executive Council were assigned to North Macedonia and Czechia, who received 86 and 128 votes, respectively. Russia received 56 votes.
The OPCW Executive Council is the organization’s governing body, made up of 41 member states elected by the Conference of member states every two years. The Council supervises the OPCW Technical Secretariat and is responsible for enforcing compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Speaking before the participants of the conference ahead of the vote, Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Permanent Representative to the OPCW Vladimir Tarabrin noted that the current situation regarding the participation in the Executive council "is clear evidence of the crisis that the Organization has fallen into." He pointed out that special attention must be paid to fair geographical distribution, the significance of chemical industry expertise, and political and security interests when deciding on the Council’s members. Meanwhile, attempts to obstruct particular countries’ membership in the Executive Council "once again demonstrate the desire of certain countries to assume tight control over the OPCW’s entire operation," the diplomat underscored.
"Russia holds almost 37% of all declared objects in Eastern Europe that are subject to OPCW inspections," the envoy said. "In this regard, Russia is the undisputed leader in the region. In addition, Russia disposed of the largest chemical weapons arsenal in the world, which it inherited from the USSR. It has unique expertise and knowledge in the destruction and prevention of chemical weapons, as well as how to counter them." According to the envoy, when Czechia and North Macedonia promoted their candidacies, they did not speak about their achievements, but tried to cast a shadow on Russia.
"This says it all," Tarabrin noted.
Meanwhile, one day earlier, head of the Russian delegation, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Kirill Lysogorsky said at the conference that Russia’s exclusion from the Executive Council created barriers for an open discussion and exchange of information, and it only diminishes the role and influence of the Organization as the most efficient means of countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction.