OPCW Deputy Director-General and Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal H.E. Mr Narayan Kaji Shrestha ‘Prakash’
The OPCW Deputy Director-General, Mrs Grace Asirwatham, paid an official visit to the Federal Republic of Nepal on 17 and 18 December 2012 and met with the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Mr Narayan Kaji Shrestha ‘Prakash’, who also serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mrs Asirwatham also met with Mr Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Mr Robert Piper, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, and with Mr Krishna Gyawali, Secretary, Ministry of Industry.
In their meeting Mrs Asirwatham briefed the Deputy Prime Minister on the OPCW’s new Mentorship Programme, under which OPCW Member States that have achieved full implementation of the Convention, including comprehensive legislation, share their experience and knowledge with others that are still in that process. Mrs Asirwatham offered the programme as a possible tool for assisting Nepal in its implementation process.
Mrs Asirwatham joined the Deputy Prime Minister in inaugurating an OPCW seminar on the Chemical Weapons Convention and Chemical-Safety-and-Security Management for member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). In her opening statement Mrs Asirwatham noted the importance of regional cooperation that SAARC enables, and the commitment to increasing chemical safety and security evidenced by the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister. She also reflected on the increased role played by Asia in the international chemical industry, which is rapidly growing.