THE HAGUE, October 14. /TASS/. When discussing Russia’s membership in the OPCW, emotional decisions should not be made as it is necessary to carefully weigh up the pros and cons, Alexander Shulgin, Russian Permanent Representative to the OPCW and Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, told TASS.

Shulgin said that in recent years the OPCW’s reputation as an international technical independent authority "has been seriously tarnished by the United States and its allies’ attempts to exploit this important international disarmament and non-proliferation mechanism for their own mercenary, short-term political interests."

"Nevertheless, as far as the question of whether we should remain in the OPCW or ‘slam the door’ is concerned, we need to weigh up the pros and cons very carefully," the diplomat stressed. "The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) does not only address the destruction of chemical weapons, but also it provides for international cooperation, exchanges of technology and equipment, and trade in dual-use goods. We need to thoroughly scrutinize the issue in order to make a decision without emotion and so as not to harm ourselves.

In this context, Shulgin recalled that Russia was one of the originators of the OPCW, which continues to play a leading part in preventing the emergence of new weapons of mass destruction.

"Staying within the organization, we go to great lengths not only to stop it from eventually evolving into an instrument promoting the political ambitions of Euro-Atlantic followers, but also to return an independent technical status to it and to make it a place where the principles of mutual respect for the interests of all member states without exception and consensus decision-making prevail," he said.