The Hague, 28 March 2002

The Minister of Defence of Mongolia, H.E. Mr Jugderdemid Gurragchaa, paid an official visit to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Saturday 23 March, 2002. He was accompanied on this visit by the Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the OPCW, H.E. Ms Sodovyn Onon, and was received at the OPCW by Deputy Director-General, Mr John Gee, and senior staff members.

During the meeting, Mr Gee acknowledged the excellent relationship between Mongolia and the OPCW, and welcomed the Minister's statement that Mongolia had enacted national legislation for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Minister undertook to provide details of this legislation in the near future. Both sides affirmed the need to strengthen the role of the OPCW in chemical disarmament, non-proliferation and in the international efforts to stem terrorism. They also discussed the issue of achieving universal membership of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), particularly in North Asia, and the Mongolian delegation reiterated the offer to host a regional seminar on the implementation of the CWC.

The Minister expressed his Government's interest in further assistance in the implementation of the Convention, including the need for national capacity-building. Training and access to detection equipment for protection against chemical weapons were also discussed in this regard.

Mongolia signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on 14 January 1993 and deposited its instrument of ratification of the Convention on 17 January 1995. The Convention entered into force for Mongolia on 29 April 1997.