OPCW Director-General visits Estonia

The Director-General of the OPCW, H.E. Mr. Ahmet Üzümcü, visited Tallinn from 14 to 16 May and spoke at the opening of the 10th Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Eastern Europe. During his visit he also attended the fourth Lennart Meri Conference, entitled Making Ideals Count, which focussed on key global foreign and security policy issues related to European security. 

Director-General Üzümcü held bilateral meetings with senior Estonian officials, including Hon. Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) and Alar Streimann, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the margins of the Conference he had the opportunity to meet, among others, the President of Estonia, H.E. Mr. Toomas Ilves; the Estonian Minister of Defence, Mr. Mart Laar; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, H.E. Mr. Carl Bildt.

The Director-General participated in a panel discussion at the Conference on the situation in Libya, stating that the situation there “came as a wake-up call, reminding us that the spectre of chemical weapons is still very much among us.”  

The Regional Meeting of National Authorities attracted 28 participating officials from 23 States Parties.  In his opening address, the Director-General pointed to the importance of cooperation between National Authorities and customs, border and licensing agencies, in order to ensure effective monitoring and reporting on imports and exports of Scheduled chemicals. He also called on the National Authorities to reach out to the chemical industry and to stay abreast with changes in the industry to ensure the quality of OPCW declarations.