India refused from voting on yet another draft resolution sponsored by Russia at the UN Security Council, involving Ukraine, which sought to establish a commission to investigate claims by Moscow that the U.S. and Ukraine are carrying out military biological activities in Ukraine laboratories in violation of the BWC or biological weapons convention.
India refused from voting on yet another draft resolution sponsored by Russia at the UN Security Council, involving Ukraine, which sought to establish a commission to investigate claims by Moscow that the U.S. and Ukraine are carrying out military biological activities in Ukraine laboratories in violation of the BWC or biological weapons convention.
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The resolution failed to get adopted on 3rd November as only two of the permanent Council members Russia and China voted in its favor, while other votes, including from members like the U.S.A, the U.K, and France were against it.
On account of the vote, Counsellor A. Amarnath, as India’s representative at the U.N. explained that India attaches high importance to the (BWC) Biological Weapons Convention which is a disarmament treaty that bans a complete category of biological and toxin weapons. He noted that India remains committed to enhancing and strengthening the effectiveness of the BWC.
Mr. Amarnath said that it is necessary to strengthen the BWC and its implementation by the State Parties and that the current situation will provide an impetus for the early consideration, negotiation, and finalization of this protocol by the State Parties. Thus, India made a decision to abstain from the resolution.
He also said that India supports the need to negotiate a comprehensive legally binding protocol providing for an effective, universal and non-discriminatory verification system to strengthen the implementation of the Convention.
Mr. Amarnath also reiterated the important role of international cooperation for peace and the related exchange of scientific and technical information when he said that India emphasizes the full and effective implementation of Article 10 of the Convention and underlines the biological related activities for peaceful purposes, which are consistent with the Convention’s obligations.
USA Response on Russia
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed Russia’s allegations that were projected to be based on disinformation, dishonesty, lack of faith, and respect.
She argued that Russia failed to bring any credible evidence to support its facts to the table. Only China voted in favor of Russia on Wednesday on the resolution calling for a commission to look into the joint bio-warfare program run by the U.S.A. and Ukraine in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
Focusing on the truth and the horrors that Russia has inflicted upon the Ukrainian people, she said that one cannot devote enough energy and resources on the lies told by Russia.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative, said that this vote will mark an important milestone for the Security Council and accused the West of showing a “colonial mentality”.
In his statement after the resolution failed its adoption, Mr. Polyanskiy said that Russia will continue to act within the BWC framework and make the necessary efforts to establish all the facts related to the violation by the US and Ukraine of obligations under the BTWC in the context of the activities of biological laboratories in Ukraine.
Thomas-Greenfield replied to the comments made by Russia, saying that an overwhelming number of the States Parties that spoke at the Geneva meeting agreed that the issues raised by Russia were unsubstantiated and had been conclusively addressed.
This was at least the 11th time that India had abstained from a substantive resolution involving Ukraine. Speaking about India’s participation in Geneva’s meetings in September, Mr. Amarnath reiterated that any matter relating to the obligations under the BWC must be addressed as per the provisions of the Convention and through cooperation between the relevant parties.
Russia’s claims
It was reported last week by Russian Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia that Moscow would put forward the draft resolution, asking for a commission to inquire the claims against the U.S. and Ukraine regarding compliance with their obligations under the BWC and activities of biological laboratories in the territory of Ukraine.
Nebenzia said that Russia has been repeatedly concerned over the military biological activities carried out with the most direct assistance of the U.S. Department of Defence in laboratories in the territories of the former Soviet republics away from North America, near Russian borders.
Posing a direct threat to the biological security of Russia, he has said that such activities are conducted indirectly through the Pentagon’s Defence Threat Reduction Agency under the watch of US Defence department.
He added the Russian Federation obtained a variety of documents and evidence during the special military operation in Ukraine, that disclosed the true nature of military biological activities of the U.S. Defence and its private contractors with Ukraine in the military biological area.
