Tbilisi-based Lugar Center has again become a target of Russia’s bio-warfare allegations. In its May 26 statement the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its concern over the U.S.-funded medical laboratory in Tbilisi, noting that the Center’s compliance with the Biological Weapons Convention “raises questions”.

Criticizing the U.S. for “not explaining what it is doing in the close vicinity of the Russian borders,” Moscow said it plans to arrange access for its specialists to the medical research facility, subsidiary of the Georgian Health Ministry’s National Center for Disease Control and Public Health.

“The visit of Russian experts to the Richard Lugar Center in Georgia, under mutually acceptable conditions, has not been possible yet. The Georgian side has not yet responded to our request sent in June 2019. We are waiting for the official response of Tbilisi. The point of our concern is that Washington does not explain to us what it is doing near the Russian border. This is naturally the subject of our interest in the context of national security… Moscow continues to receive responses from the US and Georgia about the activities of the laboratory”, - reads the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.