Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Visits the OPCW

10 May 2007
Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 8 May 2007, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina H.E. Mr Sven Alkalaj, visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague and met the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter.

On behalf of his Government, Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj reaffirmed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s staunch support for the full achievement of the objectives of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and expressed his Government’s firm support for the work of the OPCW and its 182 Member States in implementing the global chemical weapons ban.

In his meeting with Foreign Minister Alkalaj, Director-General Pfirter provided an overview of the CWC’s global implementation. Their discussions focussed on the effective national implementation of the CWC to prevent the use or re-emergence of chemical weapons, a crucial element in preventing terrorist access to these dangerous materials.

On behalf of the OPCW, Director-General Pfirter thanked Foreign Minister Alkalaj for his Government’s generous and continuing support of the Organisation, and in particular thanked him for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s offer to host a regional meeting of the OPCW Member States within the Association and Stabilisation Pact (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia). The meeting will serve to enhance the CWC’s national application to ensure that the ban can be effectively enforced in the region.

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Entry into Force of the CWC, Foreign Minister Alkalaj commended the OPCW and congratulated Director-General Pfirter, emphasizing, the unanimous and strong commitment of the OPCW Member States to fulfilling their obligations under the Convention completely abolishing chemical weapons and promoting the peaceful uses of chemistry for the benefit of mankind.

PR41 / 2007