Lavrov warns of "serious questions" for cross-border biological activities

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made statements regarding the activities of some countries in the biological field.

In his video message to the seminar held in Moscow on the implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention at the national level, Lavrov claimed that the activities carried out by some states outside their borders create controversy in terms of compliance with the convention.

Lavrov stated that the activities in question were carried out for "preventive cooperation" or other peaceful purposes, and said that these raised serious questions in the context of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

The Russian minister did not name a specific country in his statement.

“BIOLOGICAL SAFETY ISSUE REMAINS CURRENT”

Lavrov stated that biological security remains important even though more than half a century has passed since the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention came into force in 1975.

Pointing out the transboundary nature of biological threats, Lavrov also listed the possibility of misuse of biotechnological developments among the risk factors.

Lavrov also said that the possibility of biological agents and toxins being used as weapons by terrorist organizations poses a threat to biological security.

Russia has previously made similar claims regarding some countries' biological research programs abroad. Moscow's assessments on this issue continue to be a matter of debate in the international arena.