The first part of a chemical weapons destruction plant in the central Kirov Region, about 550 miles northeast of Moscow, became operational today.
Speaking at the plant's opening ceremony, presidential envoy to the Volga federal district, Alexander Konovalov said: "I am certain that all plans and schedules on the destruction of hazardous toxic substances will be fulfilled by the set deadlines, in strict adherence to required technologies and safety regulations for workers and local residents."
The new plant is being built to destroy 6,900 metric tons of chemical weapons kept in storage facilities since 1953. It is the third destruction plant built in Russia, after the completion of facilities at Gorny, in the central Saratov Region, and at Kambarka, in the Republic of Udmurtia.
Under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Chemical and Bacteriological Weapons, Russia is to destroy 20% of the chemical weapons it inherited from the former Soviet Union by 2007. The stockpiles must be completely destroyed by 2012.
Russia ratified the convention, which stipulates four phases of destruction, in 1997. One percent of the weapons are to be destroyed in the first phase, 20% in the second phase, 45% in the third, and the remaining 34% in the fourth phase.
Russia's had a total of 40,000 metric tons of chemical weapons at seven storage facilities before it completed the first phase of the program in April 2003 by destroying 400 metric tons of mustard gas, 1% of its total chemical weapons stockpiles.
Russia allocated $678 million on chemical disarmament in 2006, Anatoly Antonov, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for security and disarmament said in May.
