17 Apr 2018 13:24

OPCW work as part of Skripal case should continue despite G7 FMs' statement - Grushko

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Russia insists on continuing work as part of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) following the G7 countries' statement on the poisoning of former Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) officer Sergei Skripal, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

"We have launched all of the procedures within the framework of the OPCW. If we seriously want to get to the bottom of this case, we need to rely on the provisions of the convention. We intend to go all the way," Grushko told reporters on Tuesday when commenting on the G7 statement.

The foreign ministers of the G7 member countries earlier called on Russia to answer questions linked with the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

"We call on Russia to urgently address all questions related to the incident in Salisbury," the ministers said in their statement.

"Russia should provide full and complete disclosure of its previously undeclared Novichok program to the OPCW in line with its international obligations," they said.

"Any use of chemical weapons by a state party, under any circumstances, is a clear breach of international law and a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention," the ministers said.