DHAKA: Russia has scrapped almost 31,000 tonnes of first-category chemical weapons or 77 percent of its declared stock, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Ahmet Uzumcu said.

Consistent with the Russian plan for the disposal of chemical weapons, the remaining stock of first-category weapons will be scrapped by December 2015, he added, reports The Voice of Russia.

He told a press conference that Russia continued disposing of its chemical weapons and scrapped 30,795 tonnes of first-category chemical weapons or 77 percent of the total amount as of October 31, 2013.

Consistent with the Russian plan for the disposal of chemical weapons, the remaining stock of first-category weapons will be scrapped by December 2015, Uzumcu said.

The first category includes the most dangerous chemical substances, which were used as chemical weapons in the past and/or are used sparingly, if ever, for peaceful purposes, the OPCW website said.

BDST: 1727 HRS, DEC 03, 2013