The Farnesina communicates that the decision not to involve Russian experts in the PSI (Proliferation Security Initiative) Operational Experts Group session, currently being held in Rome, was taken in accordance with the main countries taking part in the initiative.
Out of transparency, Italy – being the rotating President – had given advance notice to the Russian Federation as to such a decision. The exclusion is accounted for not only by Russia’s brutal attack against Ukraine, but also by Moscow’s increasingly polarising and non-cooperative attitude in the major international fora on disarmament and non-proliferation, the most recent example being Moscow standing against the unanimous approval of the final document of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, held last August.
Back in 2014 and 2015, in view of Russia’s intervention in Crimea and given how the situation in Donbas was evolving, the Russian Federation was temporarily excluded from similar sessions.
In this regard, the declarations made today by the spokesperson of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are specious.
