The United Kingdom and Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Moscow on co-operation to support Russia in destroying its chemical weapons stocks. Canada will provide some CAD 33 million, which the United Kingdom will manage on Canada’s behalf to carry out work in Russia.
The Canadian funding will be used to finance the construction of an 18-kilometre railway, which will transport munitions from the chemical weapons storage depot to the destruction facility at Shchuch’ye (Kurganskaya oblast). The project is part of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched in June 2002 by G8 leaders, that commits the G8 to raise up to USD 20 billion to support cooperation projects, initially in Russia, aimed at preventing the acquisition of weapons and materials of mass destruction by terrorists or those who shelter them.
“I warmly welcome this Canadian initiative as a further important step in strengthening international co-operation to destroy chemical weapons. It is a very positive development for the G8 Global Partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction, which was launched at the G8 Summit in Canada in 2002,” said Mr Adam Ingram, UK’s Armed Forces Minister.
“The United Kingdom’s willingness to facilitate Canada’s first Global Partnership contribution at Shchuch’ye exemplifies the spirit of the Global Partnership”, said the Canadian Ambassador to Russia, Mr Christopher Westdal, who signed the MOU on behalf of Canada. “Our agreement with the UK, which is allowing Canada to make this significant contribution to Russian chemical weapons destruction before conclusion of our own legal agreement with Russia, demonstrates the shared commitment of our two countries to ensuring the earliest possible destruction of nerve agent at Shchuch’ye”.
“The UK and Canada have each already undertaken a number of projects to assist Russia in dealing with the legacy of the Cold War. This will be our biggest project yet in the field of chemical weapon destruction. We look forward to working in partnership with our Canadian and Russian colleagues in implementing this project,” said Sir Roderic Lyne, the British Ambassador to Moscow, who signed the MOU on behalf of the UK.
The project will be managed as part of the UK MOD’s assistance programme, under the terms of the bilateral Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom.
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