24/11/2003

MoD assists in destroying Russia's chemical weapons

The UK and Canada have signed an agreement in Moscow this week on co-operation in destroying Russian chemical weapons stocks.

Canada will provide about £15 million to a UK-managed project to construct an 18km railway that will transport chemical weapons (CW) munitions from their storage depot to the destruction facility at Shchuch'ye, in the Urals. Shchuch'ye will be the main Russian facility for the destruction of lethal nerve agents, including over four million artillery munitions.

The Canadian contribution is the largest yet from any country to the UK's programme of assistance to Russia in destroying CW stocks.

The UK announced in 2002 that it will make available around £60 million over the next 10 years to assist Russia with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The £60 million is part of US$750 million that the UK has made available under the G8 Global Partnership commitment, designed to reduce the risks of proliferation.

Adam Ingram, Minister for the Armed Forces, said: "It is an important step in strengthening international co-operation to destroy chemical weapons and a very positive development for the G8 Global Partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction."

The project will be managed as part of the MoD's assistance programme, under the terms of the UK-Russia bilateral treaty, and will be implemented by the UK's principal contractor, Bechtel Ltd.

(gmcg)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

05 February 2004
Libya adopts Chemical Weapons Convention
Weapons inspectors have met with the Libyan government today as the Chemical Weapons Convention, which the country adopted last month, comes into force. A team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were in Tripoli today after Libya became the 159th State to join the convention.
16 October 2003
Czechs assist MoD in destroying Russian chemical weaponry
The UK has welcomed the contribution of the Czech Republic to a Ministry of Defence-led project helping Russia to destroy its chemical weapons stocks. The Czech Republic will provide around £45,000 towards construction of an electricity substation that will support the chemical weapons (CW) destruction facility at Shchuch'ye, in the Urals.
11 October 2013
OPCW Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2013 is to be awarded to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. During World War One, chemical weapons were used to a considerable degree.
25 October 2004
UK must act now to defend itself against bio-terrorism, says BMA
If the development of biological and genetic weapons is not curtailed, it will be "virtually impossible" for Britain to defend itself from terrorist bio-weapons attack, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
18 July 2003
Blair and Bush stand behind decision to go to war
Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush have stood firm in their decision to go to war, amid continued questions over the reliability of key intelligence claims about Saddam Hussein's military capabilities.