KALININGRAD, October 15 (Itar-Tass) - Chemical weapons that are stored in Russia since shortly after the World War Two times will be destroyed completely by 2012, adviser of the federal agency for safe storage and destruction of chemical weapons of the Defence Ministry Anatoly Karpov who is in Kaliningrad at a meeting of the international club of directors told Itar-Tass.

According to Karpov, “40,000 tonnes of chemical weapons were accumulated in Russia and have not been produced for 60 years, but its warranty term is limited. Apart from Russia 22 countries are involved in the international programme of the disposal of chemical weapons. As much as 11.8 billion roubles are allocated for the implementation of the programme from the federal budget in 2005, donor countries invest the same sum.

As many as 2,000 tonnes of chemical weapons have been destroyed at the disposal plant Gorny in the Saratov region this year. The first lines of disposal plants in Udmurtia and the Kirov region will be commissioned in 2005. Their capacities are designed for the disposal of 3,000 tonnes of chemical weapons.

According to the plans, 8,000 tonnes of chemical weapons will have been disposed by 2008, Karpov pointed out.