On 10 November 2005, H.E. General V.I. Kholstov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency on Industry of the Russian Federation visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague and met Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, the OPCW Director-General.
During their meeting, Director-General Pfirter and General Kholstov discussed the current status of implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and also discussed the status of the destruction of chemical weapons in the Russian Federation.
Director-General Pfirter expressed his appreciation for the Russian Government’s commitment to the goals of the OPCW. General Kholstov assured Director-General Pfirter of Russia’s strong support for the OPCW and its firm resolve to meet the time frames for the destruction of the declared stockpiles of chemical weapons secured in the Russian Federation, in accordance with the recently-approved updated national chemical weapons destruction programme.
Director-General Pfirter and General Kholstov discussed international cooperation in the destruction of chemical weapons in the Russian Federation. Director-General Pfirter assured General Kholstov of his resolve to continue the promotion of financial and technical assistance to the Russian Federation by the international community in a spirit of partnership.
Director-General Pfirter recalled that the firm commitment of the Russian Federation to the Chemical Weapons Convention had been reiterated during his visit to the Russian Federation in June 2005.
In his address to the Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC, Deputy Director General Kholstov stressed that the chemical weapons destruction process in the Russian Federation is under the constant control of President Putin. He noted that the Russian Federation was planning to finish the second phase of destruction in 2007 and to destroy all chemical weapons stockpiles by 2012. He underscored the fact that in the process, human and environmental safety will remain the Russian Federation’s highest priority.
77/2005