MOSCOW, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- A Russian general promised Thursday the country would destroy its chemical weapons stockpiles on schedule in spite of a shortfall in foreign aid.
Army Gen. Alexander Belousov, who also serves as first deputy defense minister, discussed the issue at a Moscow news conference, Novosti reported.
"This is an important issue, and we take it seriously,” Belousov said. “We are certain that all stockpiles of chemical weapons in Russia will be destroyed by 2012."
Russia has destroyed one-fifth of the 40,000 tons of chemical weapons it declared when it ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997. By the end of 2009, 45 percent of the weapons are scheduled to be destroyed.
Lt. Gen. Valery Kapashin -- who heads the Federal Department for the Safe Storage and Liquidation of Chemical Weapons -- said Russia has received about 25 percent of the $1.6 billion in financial assistance promised by United States, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada.
