Federation Council to Ratify Deal on Russian-Italian Cooperation in Chemical Weapons Disposal

MOSCOW. May 29 (Interfax) – The Russian Federation Council will consider a bill ratifying an agreement between the Russian and Italian governments on cooperation in the disposal of Russian chemical weapons.

“This agreement stipulates terms and conditions of the parties’ interaction and imposes obligations on Italy on providing non- repayable assistance to Russia in disposing of its chemical weapons arsenals,” Valentin Zavadnikov, the head of the Federation Council industrial policy committee, told Interfax.

The volume of the non-repayable assistance on Italy’s part will be worth 360 million euro, Zavadnikov said. This sum is equivalent to the planned investment in the design and construction of chemical weapons disposal facilities near the community of Pochep in the Bryansk region.

“This document is very beneficial to Russia and does not involve any political concessions on our country’s part,” Zavadnikov said.

The implementation of this agreement has to do with Russia’s compliance with its commitments under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons.

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