Russia Dissatisfied With Fact-Finding Mission in Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has outlined Moscow’s dissatisfaction in a letter to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Director General Ahmet Uzumcu with its fact-finding mission into the reported April 4 chemical attack in Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

“We sent a letter which Minister Lavrov wrote to the OPCW director general with a full outline of our position and an explanation of why the activities of the so-called fact-finding mission in Syria do not suit us in its previous regime and previous methodology,” Ryabkov told reporters Friday, Sputnik reported.

He said Russia submitted a draft resolution jointly with Iran for the OPCW Executive Council’s consideration.

“Moscow believes that the conclusions formulated by the fact-finding mission in Syria are politically motivated, biased and requiring further clarification,” Ryabkov said.

Uzumcu said on Thursday he expected its fact-finding mission into the reported Khan Shaykhun attack to complete its work within the next two to three weeks.

Ryabkov added that all permanent UN Security Council members should be included in the international chemical weapons watchdog’s new expert group investigating the reported chemical attack in Syria.

“The mission should include representatives of those countries that can objectively assess the situation rather than follow the guidelines dictated by their governments. These are not just member states of the UN Security Council, but the permanent member states of the UN Security Council,” he told reporters on Friday.

Ryabkov said Iran, Brazil and India should also take part in the fact-finding mission into the reported attack in Khan Shaykhun.