Russia to Complete Chemical Weapons Destruction by October

The Russian state chemical weapons destruction program will probably be completed ahead of schedule, as Russian President Vladimir Putin had set the task of closing this issue as soon as possible. SARATOV (Sputnik) — Russia may finish the destruction of all its chemical weapons stockpiles by the end of September, Mikhail Babich, the chairman of the State Commission on Chemical Disarmament, said on Thursday. "The chemical weapons destruction program, authorized by the head of state, will be completed ahead of schedule, although our international obligations expire on December 31, 2018… I think that we will finalize it by the end of this month," Babich said. Babich noted that the exact date for the completion of the program would be announced by President Vladimir Putin in the upcoming days, since he had set the task of closing this issue as soon as possible. "We will demonstrate to the world that Russia not only fulfills its international obligations, but also understands that disarmament serves as an example for many of our foreign colleagues," Babich said. In June, Russia's Federal Administration for the Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons announced that Russia had already destroyed 98.9 percent of its chemical weapons stockpiles, while the rest would be eliminated at the Kizner facility in the country’s Udmurtian Republic by the end of 2017. Read more: https://sputniknews.com/russia/201709211057594773-chemical-weapons-destruction/