World's chemical watchdog votes down joint poisoning probe bid

Russia failed on Wednesday in its bid to take part in an investigation by the global chemical watchdog into last month's poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter.

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to have two-thirds of the votes in support of that decision. A qualified majority was needed," Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin told reporters.

"The proposal was about a double investigation led by Russia and the UK. The general director of the OPCW should be the mediator," he elaborated.

Britain and the United States were among those who voted against Moscow's proposal along with others who "followed suit, tightened by the EU and NATO discipline".

But Shulgin highlighted that Russia had won the support of Iran, as well as China and some African nations.

He stressed that out of the 41-member executive council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a total of 23 countries had either voted in favour of the joint Russian-Iranian motion, or had abstained.

The "masks have been thrown off," he told a press conference at the Russian embassy in The Hague, after a day of tense talks.

Russia's approach to the OPCW came after a British laboratory said it had not proved that Russia manufactured a deadly nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy.

Moscow had said it wanted to "address the situation around the allegations ... in regards to the incident in Salisbury."

On Tuesday, the British military facility analysing the nerve agent used on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, said it was not in a position to say where the substance had originated.

TRT World's Simon McGregor-Wood reports.

Putin hopes meeting to defuse row

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he hoped OPCW's meeting would put a "full stop" to the issue.

"We have raised 20 questions for discussion [at the meeting]. I hope that during this discussion a final line on what has happened will be drawn," Putin told a news conference during a visit to the Turkish capital Ankara.

TRT World spoke to Julia Chapman in Moscow.

Putin added he had been informed that the British military could not prove the substance was made in Russia.

"We are interested in a full-fledged investigation. We want to be allowed into this investigation, and we count on receiving relevant materials as the issue involves citizens of the Russian Federation," Putin said.

An "anti-Russian campaign" had been started with surprising speed, Putin said, reiterating Moscow's claim that it should be allowed to take part in the investigation.

UK, allies blame Russia

Skripal, who has lived in Britain since a spy swap in 2010, and his daughter have been in hospital since the March 4 poisoning that London and its major Western allies have blamed on Russia.

'Diversionary tactic'

Britain's foreign ministry accused Russia of requesting the meeting to undermine the OPCW's investigation.

"This Russian initiative is yet again another diversionary tactic, intended to undermine the work of the OPCW in reaching a conclusion," the ministry said in a statement.

"Of course, there is no requirement in the Chemical Weapons Convention for the victim of a chemical weapons attack to engage in a joint investigation with the likely perpetrator," it said.

'Source unidentified'

Gary Aitkenhead, chief executive of the Porton Down defence laboratory, told Britain's Sky News that analysts had identified the substance as military-grade Novichok, the word used for a category of nerve agents developed in Soviet times.

But he added, "We have not identified the precise source."

"It is our job to provide the scientific evidence of what this particular nerve agent is, we identified that it is from this particular family and that it is a military grade, but it is not our job to say where it was manufactured," Aitkenhead said.

"Extremely sophisticated methods" were needed to create the nerve agent, he said, adding that was "something only in the capabilities of a state actor."

Following his remarks, a British government spokesperson said Porton Down's identification of Novichok was "only one part of the intelligence picture."

"This includes our knowledge that within the last decade, Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents probably for assassination – and as part of this programme has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichok; Russia's record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views former intelligence officers as targets," it added.

The first use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II has chilled Moscow's relations with the West, as both sides have expelled scores of diplomats.

Britain has also suspended high-level diplomatic contact with Moscow.