٠٠:٠٣:١٣Russian permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Alexander Shulgin commented on the results of an investigation by the OPCW which say that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Saraqeb back in 2018, during an interview from The Hague on Monday.
Shulgin said that the OPCW report's conclusion is explained by the 'huge pressure' being put on the Technical Secretariat by Western countries, and he questioned the timing of the report, which was released three years after the incident.
"The Technical Secretariat has been trying to issue this kind of documents right in time for important events for the so-called Friends of Syria in order to help them amplify their claims about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Armed Forces. So, the Saraqeb report was issued just on the eve of the second part of the CSP conference of state parties," he added.
According to Shulgin, the Friends of Syria group are the main funders of the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team which led the investigation.
Russia's permanent representative added that Syrian chemical weapons were already destroyed abroad back in 2014 under the control of OPCW inspectors.
OPCW released on April 12 a second investigative report into the use of chemical weapon in Syria. The team found 'reasonable grounds to believe' that Syrian air force helicopters dropped at least one cylinder in Saraqeb on February 4, 2018.
The report concluded that the cylinder released chlorine over a large area, affecting 12 named individuals.
The Syrian government, in turn, has rejected the results of the investigation.
In 2014, Syria allegedly destroyed all its chemical weapons after entering several international agreements.
Netherlands: Russia's OPCW representative comments on report on use of chlorine bomb by Syrian forces
Russian permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Alexander Shulgin commented on the results of an investigation by the OPCW which say that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Saraqeb back in 2018, during an interview from The Hague on Monday.
Shulgin said that the OPCW report's conclusion is explained by the 'huge pressure' being put on the Technical Secretariat by Western countries, and he questioned the timing of the report, which was released three years after the incident.
"The Technical Secretariat has been trying to issue this kind of documents right in time for important events for the so-called Friends of Syria in order to help them amplify their claims about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Armed Forces. So, the Saraqeb report was issued just on the eve of the second part of the CSP conference of state parties," he added.
According to Shulgin, the Friends of Syria group are the main funders of the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team which led the investigation.
Russia's permanent representative added that Syrian chemical weapons were already destroyed abroad back in 2014 under the control of OPCW inspectors.
OPCW released on April 12 a second investigative report into the use of chemical weapon in Syria. The team found 'reasonable grounds to believe' that Syrian air force helicopters dropped at least one cylinder in Saraqeb on February 4, 2018.
The report concluded that the cylinder released chlorine over a large area, affecting 12 named individuals.
The Syrian government, in turn, has rejected the results of the investigation.
In 2014, Syria allegedly destroyed all its chemical weapons after entering several international agreements.
Russian permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Alexander Shulgin commented on the results of an investigation by the OPCW which say that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Saraqeb back in 2018, during an interview from The Hague on Monday.
Shulgin said that the OPCW report's conclusion is explained by the 'huge pressure' being put on the Technical Secretariat by Western countries, and he questioned the timing of the report, which was released three years after the incident.
"The Technical Secretariat has been trying to issue this kind of documents right in time for important events for the so-called Friends of Syria in order to help them amplify their claims about the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Armed Forces. So, the Saraqeb report was issued just on the eve of the second part of the CSP conference of state parties," he added.
According to Shulgin, the Friends of Syria group are the main funders of the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team which led the investigation.
Russia's permanent representative added that Syrian chemical weapons were already destroyed abroad back in 2014 under the control of OPCW inspectors.
OPCW released on April 12 a second investigative report into the use of chemical weapon in Syria. The team found 'reasonable grounds to believe' that Syrian air force helicopters dropped at least one cylinder in Saraqeb on February 4, 2018.
The report concluded that the cylinder released chlorine over a large area, affecting 12 named individuals.
The Syrian government, in turn, has rejected the results of the investigation.
In 2014, Syria allegedly destroyed all its chemical weapons after entering several international agreements.