From 6 to 8 June 2007, the Government of Belarus and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons co-hosted the sixth regional Eastern European National Authorities meeting in Minsk, Belarus. The event drew together participants from nineteen States Parties: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, H.E. Mr Vasily Pugachev, opened the meeting and in welcoming the participants, stressed his country’s commitment to the goals and objectives of the Chemical Weapons Convention. He recalled that the meeting coincides with the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the establishment of the OPCW. Deputy Minister Pugachev stated that: “The entry into force of the CWC began an important new chapter in the world history paving the way for the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction under the surveillance of an intrusive verification mechanism. Verification of the destruction of chemical weapons, monitoring of chemical production and international cooperation to promote the peaceful uses of chemistry have made the OPCW a dynamic, results-driven organisation. It is also obvious that persistent and responsible national policy of all States Parties to the CWC is a key prerequisite to a successful national implementation.”
In his keynote address to the meeting on 7th June 2007, the OPCW Deputy Director-General, Mr John Freeman, stressed the crucial role played by the National Authorities in the effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). He said that by ensuring the effective implementation of the Convention at the national level, the National Authorities support the Convention’s non-proliferation objectives. He indicated that within ten years the Organisation has progressed from its infancy to maturity at a remarkable pace, successfully translating the untested provisions of the Convention into a workable regime to be implemented by a new and unprecedented organisation.
The sixth regional meeting in Minsk continues the series of annual, regional National Authorities meetings in Eastern Europe. National Authority representatives considered issues arising from the practical implementation of the Convention such as industrial verification international chemical transfer provisions, as well as national legislative and administrative obligations under the Convention. The participants shared their national experience in monitoring and controlling scheduled chemicals transfers, promoting awareness in the chemical industry and the academic community about the restrictions on scheduled chemicals and the reporting requirements associated with these, and the electronic processing and submission of declarations.
PR61 / 2007