Russia Not Paying For OPCW Attributive Mechanism As Matter Of Principle - Ambassador

Russia deducts from its annual payments to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) installments for the attributive mechanism for determining those guilty of using chemical weapons, as it principally rejects the mechanism, Russian Ambassador to the Hague Alexander Shulgin has said in an interview with Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2020) Russia deducts from its annual payments to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) installments for the attributive mechanism for determining those guilty of using chemical weapons, as it principally rejects the mechanism, Russian Ambassador to the Hague Alexander Shulgin has said in an interview with Sputnik.

In November, Russia voted against the adoption of the OPCW budget for 2020, saying that it envisions spending for activities beyond the OPCW jurisdiction, namely, for the attributive mechanism, created in summer 2018. Russia believes only the United Nations Security Council has the right to identify and punish those responsible for the use of chemical weapons.

"I believe this is a flagrant situation, in which such a decision on the organization's budget that is beneficial only for a certain group of countries is being imposed on all others. Of course, Russia is drawing certain conclusions and reacts properly. We are not going to pay for the attribution [mechanism]. We are just deducting assignations for this purpose, which are imposed on us against our will, from our share of the annual budgetary payments ... Rejecting the OPCW attributive mechanism is a matter of principle, and we have no intention to depart from this stand," Shulgin added.