Moscow warns OPCW may make biased decisions if vested with blaming powers

A new power vested in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to attribute blame for incidents involving chemical warfare agents, may be used against any country which falls out of favor with the West, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Friday. It said that during the OPCW Executive Council’s session in The Hague on October 9-12, the US and Britain had been increasingly pressing for the organization to be empowered with this new function, TASS reported. “Russia stands firm against this initiative,” according to the statement. “In case the initiative is approved it will turn into some sort of a ‘retributive body’ for the use against anyone out of favor in the West.” Russia has always complied with its commitments in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, the ministry said, adding that the current situation should not be used “for the sake of geopolitical games.”