SARATOV. Feb 27 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 190 tonnes of yperite have been disposed off at the Gorny chemical disarmament center in the Saratov region, head of the State Commission for Chemical Disarmament Sergei Kiriyenko told Interfax on Thursday.
"We are keeping to the schedule set by the national chemical disarmament program," Kiriyenko said.
Russia is due to dispose of 400 tonnes of chemical warfare agents, 1% of the total amount in the first category, in the first half of this year, Kiriyenko said.
As for the future of the Gorny center, Kiriyenko said it will continue working in keeping with the chemical disarmament program for the time being.
"Large investments were made in the center, first and foremost its infrastructure, and Saratov Governor Dmitry Ayatskov has suggested bringing here the reaction masses that result from the chemical disarmament process at other sites," Kiriyenko said.
There are seven sites holding 40,000 tonnes of chemical armaments inherited from the former Soviet Union on the territory of Russia, he remarked.
"The major part of those weapons is located in the Udmurtian autonomous republic while the minimal stock of over 1,100t is in Gorny," Kiriyenko noted.
He stressed that Russia should scrap 20% of its chemical weapons by late 2005 - early 2006 in accordance with the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.
Responding to a question Kiriyenko noted that Gorny has the status of restricted-access area.
"The project is being discussed by the government. The problem of Gorny does not only concern the chemical weapons scrapping but also the servicing of the social sphere while the municipal authorities will not be able to cope with the problem," Kiriyenko said.
The new status will help fully finance the installation from the federal budget, he added.