News

Mr. Chairman,
Space is our common heritage. The future of individuals & humanity as a whole depends on how we manage our achievements in the exploration of near-Earth space and beyond. On the one hand, new horizons, which previously seemed incomprehensible are opening up for us to address problems.
On the other hand, we cannot but note the progressive aggravation of the situation in the field of security of space activities. Since the beginning of 2019, a number of events have taken place that require reflection and reaction by the international community. A number of countries have already announced plans to deploy Strike Weapons Systems in outer space. That was done officially through the adoption of national doctrinal documents.

Distinguished Mr. President,
Allow me also to join those who have congratulated Ms. Tatiana Valovaya in connection with her appointment to the position of Secretary General of the CD and Personal Representative of Secretary General of the United Nations to the CD. We are certain that her guidance will help us in our work. I would also like to join those who have expressed words of gratitude to you Mr. President for your able guidance of the Conference on Disarmament in a difficult period.

29 May 2019
The CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS) is operating as normal and has not detected any unusual event.

We consider claims that Russia may be conducting very low-yield nuclear tests as a crude provocation. This accusation is absolutely groundless and is no more than another attempt to smear Russia’s image.

Distinguished Mr. President,
Distinguished Mr. Secretary-General
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A year has passed since I last addressed this audience. By historical standards, this is a miniscule amount of time. Yet the events that have taken place over the year have brought us to the edge of a new era in arms control.
A year ago, you and us still hoped that, by means of constructive dialogue, we altogether could overcome differences, find compromise solutions and give new impetus to the joint effort aimed at strengthening peace and maintaining global stability.
But today we face aggressive foreign-policy egocentrism fueled by claims for an exclusive right to determine the "rules" of world order and the destinies of nations, countries and entire regions. We are witnessing more and more attempts to destroy fundamental agreements and reshape the whole multilateral arms control architecture according to own narrow opportunistic interests. In pursuit of dominance the instruments that for decades have been preserving the stability and predictability of international relations are being carelessly taken down.

Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation comments on Syria
On the 25th of August Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, made a statement concerning plans by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists (former name – Jabhat al-Nusra) to stage a chemical attack against civilians in Idlib province in an attempt to frame Syrian Government forces.

The Syrian Arab Republic had one of the most advanced chemical industries in the Middle East in terms of both civilian and military production. Chemical weapons capability had strategic importance for Damascus in the context of long-standing tensions with Israel.

According to the information available, on the morning of April 21, the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission departed to the alleged site of the April 7 chemical attack in Douma in Eastern Ghouta.

I would like to extend my warm greetings to the participants of the CD thematic meeting dedicated to the anniversary of the Second Hague Peace Conference.
The Hague Conference, convened in 1907 on the initiative of Russia with representatives of 44 States in attendance, made an invaluable contribution to the establishment of the modern system of international law. Thanks to the willingness to reach compromise the diplomats managed to carry out a large-scale codification of the laws and customs of war. The resulting documents of the Conference became the first attempt to restrict the right to war, an important step towards securing a principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in international law. With the exception of one Convention, all of them are still in force and play a significant role in the contemporary interaction between States.
As 110 years ago, Russia remains deeply committed to the course of developing viable and efficient multilateral agreements, including those in the field of arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation. In recent years together with the like-minded States we came up with a variety of initiatives aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space, strengthening the regime of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, elaborating an international convention on the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism. We note with satisfaction that they are enjoying wide international support.