Address issue of bio-weapons: India at UN

United Nations, March 12

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India has told the UN Security Council that any matters relating to obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention should be addressed through consultation and cooperation between the parties concerned, as the top organ of the world body discussed the issue of alleged biological laboratories in Ukraine.

The Russian request for the Security Council meeting followed a US rejection of Russian accusations that Ukraine is operating chemical and biological labs with American support.

Enforce convention

It is important to ensure full and effective implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in letter and spirit. —TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to the UN Ambassador

“We have repeatedly expressed serious concern over the ongoing situation in Ukraine,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said on Friday.

Speaking at the Security Council briefing on Ukraine: Reports of Biological Programmes, he said India

has noted the recent statements by member states and wider information regarding biological activities relating to Ukraine.

“In this context, we would like to underline the importance attached by India to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) as a key global and non-discriminatory disarmament Convention, prohibiting an entire category of weapons of mass destruction,” he said.

“We also believe that any matters relating to obligations under the BTWC should be addressed as per the provisions of the Convention, and through consultation and cooperation between the parties concerned,” he said.

Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the Council that Russian armed forces are pursuing their offensive operations and laying siege to several cities in the south, east and north of the country.

She said the situation is particularly alarming in Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv, where there is the shelling of residential areas and civilian infrastructure, resulting in an increasing number of civilians killed and injured. —