Georgia’s statements about disinformation coming from Russia are provocative and serve to draw the attention of the international community to the military-biological activities carried out in the Lugar laboratory, – noted the statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Russian Foreign Ministry declares that it welcomes Georgia’s readiness to accept Russian experts to the laboratory. However, the statement notes that such a visit would only make sense if Russian experts are able to enter the building of all the laboratories, including those controlled by American specialists, and at the same time have access to all requested documentation.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in response to a statement by the Georgian Foreign Ministry. The statement by the Georgian MFA says that “Georgia, as a responsible Member State of the Convention on Prohibition of Biological Weapons, is and always has been ready, to host competent Russian experts, who holds the relevant level security permission to access the facilities of the laboratory. However, such visits might be conducted within the framework of the Convention and in full compliance with the existing mechanism. There was such possibility in 2018, although Georgia is open to discuss the modalities of the peer exercise/visit with Member-States upon new initiative. At the same time, Georgia does not see the possibility for one-side unilateral visit taking into account Russia’s rough and aggressive disinformation campaign with the only possible aim to diminish the functioning and researches at the facilities of the Lugar Centre”.