(Read the full article on Civil.ge)

The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on May 19 called for strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) by adopting a “legally binding” compliance verification system and an investigative mechanism for alleged use of biological weapons, a claim presumably targetted at the U.S.-funded biological research facilities, including the Lugar Research Center in Tbilisi, Civil.ge reported.

Foreign Ministers of the CSTO member states, Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, stressed in their joint statement that the risk of biological agents being used as weapons has increased since 2001, after talks on the Compliance Protocol under the BWC was suspended.

The CSTO said it opposes conducting voluntary assessment visits at biological research centers as an alternative to undergoing verification under the BWC. Moscow also said in May 2020 it sought to organize a visit by its experts to the Lugar Research Center, to assess its compliance with the Convention.

According to the statement, CSTO member states are ready to “consider any proposals” to enhance the Convention’s capacities at the August 2022 Ninth Review Conference.

The statement comes a week after Russian Council Deputy Secretary Yuri Averyanov vowed Moscow would prepare proposals to counter “threats” associated with the U.S.-funded research centers. According to the Russian official, one of such risks was “deadly microorganisms” being released “as if by accident” in the post-Soviet countries. Commenting on Averyanov’s remarks, Beijing also called for setting up a verification mechanism on May 12, stressing the need to ensure the legitimacy, transparency and security of U.S. “bio-labs.”