WASHINGTON. Oct 28 (Interfax) - Russia is not ready to put up with the fact that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is turning into an instrument of political pressure and will make every effort to normalize its work, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN office in Geneva Andrei Belousov said at the First Committee on the UN General Assembly.
"[...] We are not ready to agree to the OPCW's transformation into an instrument of political pressure and an instrument for pursuing the geopolitical interests of a narrow group of countries. Russia will continue making every effort in order to restore the rule of international law, to maintain the integrity of the Convention and to normalize the work of the OPCW," Belousov said.
The situation that today exists within the OPCW is complicated, he said.
"This once authoritative international organization, where decisions were always adopted by consensus, has found itself split as a result of politicization, the washing-out of its mandate and deviation from the provisions of the Convention," the diplomat said.
A number of states have effectively transformed the organization "for the benefit of their mercenary geopolitical goals," he said.
A vivid example of the politicization of the OPCW's work is the UN General Assembly's draft resolution titled The Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, Belousov said.
"From year to year we call on its authors to begin seriously treating the document submitted by them and to make proper efforts to restore its consensus-based nature. We do not have any illusions that it will be easy, but not to do anything at all is simply irresponsible," he said.
Russia's calls were once again ignored this year, he said.
"Only one consultation was held on this draft resolution, while the member states' proposals on fine-tuning its text that are crucial to us were disregarded. We view as absolutely inadmissible the use in it of politicized passages with groundless accusations against certain responsible member states of the Convention. At the same time, it effectively lacks at least an 'appeal' to the last state possessing chemical weapons - the U.S. - to complete the disposal of its stockpiles as soon as possible," Belousov said.