Russia fails in seeking joint inquiry on Skripal case in OPCW

THE HAGUE, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Russia's proposal for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in Britain has been voted down at a meeting of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Wednesday.

"We consider it's necessary to ensure that this problem is solved within the international legal framework using the full potential of the Chemical Weapons Convention," tweeted Alexander Shulgin, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation at the OPCW.

Russia proposed a joint Russia-Britain investigation into the poisoning. At the request, the Executive Council of the global chemical weapons watchdog held an extraordinary session behind closed doors on Wednesday, and both Russian and British experts and officials attended the session.

Out of the 41-member OPCW Executive Council, a total of 23 countries had either voted in favor of the proposal or had abstained.

"Unfortunately we have not been able to have two-thirds of the votes in support of that decision," said Shulgin at a press conference after the OPCW talks.

After the vote, British delegation at the OPCW tweeted that "the international community has again stood up and said 'No' to Russian attempts to confuse and frustrate this process."

And John Foggo, who is acting as British permanent representative to the OPCW, told the session that Russia's call for a joint inquiry with Britain was "perverse" and "a diversionary act."

London believes that a military-grade nerve substance named "Novichok" and developed in Soviet times was used in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 4 in the southern English city of Salisbury. However, Moscow denied any involvement.

The OPCW experts have visited the locations and collected environmental samples. The samples were brought to the OPCW laboratory on March 23. "The results of the sample analyses are expected to be received by early next week," said the OPCW in a statement. Enditem