THE HAGUE, December 2. /TASS/. Western nations and their allies have rammed through their version of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) program and budget for the next year, Russia’s permanent envoy to the OPCW, Alexander Shulgin, has told TASS.
The document was voted upon by 130 delegations, 103 of whom supported it; representatives of 13 nations abstained, while 14 delegations voted against the new budget, including Russia, Iran, China, Cuba and Syria. According to the paper, the OPCW 2021 budget is 71.1 million euro.
According to the Russian envoy, during debates on this issue, Russia was guided by the assumption that such decisions should be made by consensus, achieved through negotiations and respect to each other’s opinions.
"Regretfully, nothing of this kind can be observed in the OSCE for the second consecutive year," Shulgin said. "Western countries and their satellites took advantage of their numerical superiority in OPCW governing bodies and rammed through their decision on the program and the budget."
"Russia and a number of other delegations, including China, voiced concrete concerns and put forward possible solutions and mutually acceptable variants. However, they were not heard," he continued.
According to the Russian envoy, the first part of the 25th Conference of member states "confirmed deep disagreements among the member states and further degradation on the Hague platform."
"The rift in the OPCW can be overcome only through discussing all painful issues on the equal basis, with mutual respect and regard to each other’s interests," he said. "Russia is ready for that."
The second part of the 25th Conference of member states, to discuss less pressing issues related to OPCW activities, is to be held in The Hague in spring.