OREANDA-NEWS. The member countries of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) by consensus approved the proposal to include Novichok into the list of banned toxic substances. This chemical, according to the UK, was used in the poisoning of colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March 2019. This was reported on Twitter by the British representative office.

As it is noted on the OPCW website, at a conference of states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, two proposals for expanding the control list were considered. One of decisions in January of this year was made by the United States, Canada and the Netherlands, they proposed adding two groups of extremely toxic substances to the lists of illegal chemicals, including what was used in Salisbury. The second proposal was made by Russia.

As it was previously explained by Russia’s permanent representative to the OPCW, Ambassador to the Netherlands Alexander Shulgin, it is a broader approach. “We should not limit ourselves with the two groups, but include four groups at once, including the chemical that was found in Salisbury and Amesbury,” he said.

According to the Russian delegation, the approval of the proposals does not mean that the chemicals will automatically be included in the lists. The control list will change later, after the organization’s experts examine the issue.

The OPCW maintains three lists of hazardous chemicals. The first includes substances that were developed or used as chemical weapons. All member countries are prohibited from having more than 1 ton of such substances, and their production (in an amount of not more than 100 grams per year) should be agreed with the OPCW. Novichok should be added to this list. The second list includes the precursors of substances from the first list. They are forbidden to export to states that have not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention. In the third list are chemicals that pose a risk, but can be produced for commercial purposes.