Alwaght- Russia supports the strengthening of international mechanisms to prevent the proliferation of biological weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
“Our country consistently advocates the strengthening of supranational mechanisms to prevent the development and proliferation of biological and toxin weapons,” the head of state said in his greeting telegram to the participants of the 4th International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Global Threats to Biological Security: Problems and Solutions’.
“We believe that international cooperation for these purposes must be carried out on an equal footing, with due respect for the sovereignty of all states,” Putin pointed out.
The president stressed that “in the current difficult international conditions, it is very important to preserve and strengthen the existing mechanisms of multilateral cooperation in combating various threats of a biological nature.” This concerns first and foremost the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, which entered into force almost half a century ago.
“Unfortunately, the principles established by this fundamental document have recently been systematically violated,” the head of state said. “Useful initiatives to strengthen the relevant non-proliferation regime are often opposed by a number of states that seek to use existing international problems to ensure their own biological security at the expense of others,” Putin pointed out.
