Russia on Wednesday (29 November) misplaced its seat on the board of the Group for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), for the primary time within the organisation’s historical past.
4 international locations — Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania — have been competing for 3 seats on the OPCW govt council for the upcoming interval 2024-2026. Russia obtained the fewest votes.
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The results of the vote, which left Russia out of the manager council of the chemical weapons watchdog, was welcomed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
”OPCW is a really respected worldwide physique and terrorists don’t have any place in it,” stated Zelensky on X, previously Twitter.
Zelensky described the end result of the vote as a ”logical outcome” of the continuing aggression of Russia towards Ukraine. ”I’m grateful to the entire international locations that supported our candidacies and voted Russia out.”
Russia’s position within the worldwide enviornment ”retains diminishing” whereas ”its isolation retains rising,” he added referring to related conditions the place Russia misplaced elections to worldwide our bodies.
In October, for instance, Russia additionally did not regain its seat on the UN Human Rights Council, primarily based in Geneva.
”Russia was clearly not thought of as match to carry such a place of accountability, because it continues its aggression towards Ukraine,” stated the Czech ministry of overseas affairs.
Lithuanian overseas affairs minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, deemed Wednesday’s election outcome as ”excellent news”. ”It is time for all worldwide organisations to wash themselves up to be able to preserve their relevance and credibility.”
The OPCW govt council is made up of 41 states, elected for a interval of two years.
From the EU, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Poland, and Lithuania will sit within the OPCW govt council.
In the meantime, EU particular envoy for no proliferation and disarmament Marjolijn van Deelen confirmed on Wednesday a contribution of €5.3m in help of the OPCW actions.
The OPCW gained the Nobel Prize in 2013 for its efforts to get rid of chemical weapons.