Supporting Chemical Weapons Destruction in the Russian Federation: Sweden and the United Kingdom Sign Cooperation Assistance Agreement, Czech Republic Increases Financial Contribution
The destruction of chemical weapons requires considerable financial resources and presents operational and technical complexities. The world’s largest declared stockpile of chemical weapons is secured in the Russian Federation. Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, commended the generosity of the countries which are supporting the Russian Federation in the destruction of its stockpile through their participation in the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.
Today, the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signed a Memorandum of Understanding on their cooperation to support the destruction of chemical weapons in the Russian Federation in the framework of the 2001 United Kingdom-Russia Agreement.
The Swedish Government is contributing to this cooperative effort by providing to the United Kingdom a grant of 5.5 million Swedish Kronor to fund elements of the electricity supply for the chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuchye in the Kurganskaya oblast of the Russian Federation.
Sweden and the United Kingdom are undertaking this cooperation to support the aims and principles of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched at Kananaskis, Canada on 27 June 2002. Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the European Union Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction agreed by the European Council on 18 December 2003.
The Government of the Czech Republic has recently made a third contribution, totalling two million Czech Crowns, through the 2001 United Kingdom-Russia Agreement, to assist in the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpiles in the Russian Federation. This contribution will also be used to help bring the Shchuchye electricity supply on line.
82/2005
Categories: Disarmament, Eastern Europe
For further information, please contact Michael Luhan, Head, OPCW Media & Public Affairs. Tel: + 31 (0) 70 416 3710 or +31 (0)6 5356 8512 or media@opcw.org | ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS, Johan de Wittlaan 32, 2517 JR The Hague, The Netherlands
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