Chemical weapons disposal, photo from www.operations.mod.uk
Created: 01.07.2004 10:38 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 17:31 MSK
MosNews
Russia’s chemical weapons destruction program is currently being revised by the Russian State Commission for Disarmament, along with interested ministries, NGOs, regional officials, and other agencies, the Interfax news agency reports.Alexander Kharchenko, who serves as Secretary of the State
Chemical Disarmament Commission and head of the Domestic Policy Department
in the office of the presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District, told
the agency on Wednesday that the program had to be revised because Russia’s
foreign partners have failed in their commitments to aid Russia in destroying
its backlog of chemical weapons.
“The existing program is expected to be financed with federal money and with
foreign aid in equal amounts. In recent years, however, foreign aid accounted
for just 20% of the total. Had all the promised aid arrived, the program
would not need revision because we would have had at least three chemical
weapons destruction plants in Gorny, Shushchye, and Kambarka,” the official
said.