OPCW Director-General Visits the United Kingdom; Meets Minister of State, Dr Howells

On 26 March 2007, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, paid an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and met Dr Kim Howells, MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Minister Howells and Director-General Pfirter discussed the OPCW’s efforts to ensure that all Member States are capable of fully and effectively implementing the global chemical weapons ban. In their discussion, Minister Howells and Director-General Pfirter agreed that recent chlorine bomb attacks in Iraq represented a violation of the international norms against the use of toxic chemicals as weapons that must be condemned and stopped.

Minister Howells stressed the steadfast commitment of his Government to achieve the CWC’s goals and its strong support for the OPCW. He further reiterated on behalf of his Government, the United Kingdom’s firm determination to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its abiding intention to maintain its close cooperation with the OPCW to support the implementation of the CWC and to assist Member States in achieving their treaty obligations.

Director-General Pfirter expressed his gratitude to Dr Howells for the United Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to the Convention and its active implementation of the Convention’s provisions.

In addition, the Director-General provided the keynote address to a national seminar hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on the 10th anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention and its future challenges.

PR19 / 2007

Categories: Outreach, Western Europe and Other States