BRUSSELS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- NATO was concerned over the Salisbury attack in Britain, which it said was "the first offensive use of a nerve agent on Alliance territory since NATO's foundation", the organization said Wednesday in a statement.
According to the statement issued by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's political decision-making body, Britain briefed the Council in the day on the use of a nerve agent in Salisbury on March 4.
"The UK confirmed the use of a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia and briefed Allies that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible," according to the statement.
"The UK also confirmed that this was an indiscriminate and reckless attack against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk."
NATO Allies also expressed solidarity with the UK, offered their support in the conduct of the ongoing investigation, and called on Russia to address Britain's questions.
On March 4, former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench in a shopping center in the southern England city of Salisbury. They remain in a critical but stable condition.
The Russian government has denied any involvement in the attack. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia was ready to cooperate with Britain in the investigation of the incident in accordance with international law.
"Russia is innocent and Russia is ready to cooperate in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention if the United Kingdom condescends to honoring its international legal obligations related to the mentioned document," Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow.
