Belgrade, Serbia, 3 June 2008
The OPCW Director-General visited Serbia on 3 June 2008, where he opened the Seventh Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Eastern Europe in Belgrade. While there the Director-General met with H.E. Mr Radojko Bogojevic, the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs; H.E. Mr Saša Dragin, Minister of Environment Protection; H.E. Mr Dušan Spasojevic, State Secretary, Ministry of Defence; H.E. Mr Feodor Starcevic, Assistant Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ambassador Bratislav Djordjevic, Head of the National Authority of Serbia.
Penza Region, Russian Federation, 17-18 June 2008
The Director-General paid an official visit to the Russian Federation on 17 and 18 June 2008 to attend the official event marking the commencement of the new Leonidovka chemical weapons destruction facility in the Penza region. During the visit, the Director-General met with Mr Victor Kholstov, Deputy Director of the Federal Industry Agency, Head of the Russian Chemical Weapons Destruction Program, and General Valery Kapashin, Head of the Federal Department for the Safe Storage and Disposal of Chemical Weapons.
Paris, France, 19 June 2008
The Director-General visited Paris on 19 June 2008 to address a seminar on “Middle East Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction Non Proliferation/Disarmament” organised by the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).
Rome, Italy, 21 June 2008
The Director-General visited Rome on 21 June 2008 to deliver an address to the 25th International Workshop on Global Security. The event was organised by the Centre for Strategic Decision Research.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 22-23 July 2008
The Director-General visited Buenos Aires on 22 and 23 July 2008 where he addressed the regional meeting of representatives of national authorities and parliaments in Latin America and the Caribbean. During his visit the Director-General met with Ambassador Victorio Taccetti, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Argentina; Ambassador Raúl Ricardes, General Director for Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina; and the Hon. Luis Francisco Cigognia, Chairman of the Justice Committee of Argentina’s Chamber of Representatives.
Paris, France, 24 September 2008
The Director-General addressed a basic course for personnel of national authorities involved in implementing the CWC that was jointly organised by France’s National Authority and the OPCW at the Training Centre for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Paris. He thanked the government of France for its excellent preparations and the French presidency of the EU for providing another opportunity to further its collaboration with the Technical Secretariat. He also held discussions with high-level officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence, who assured him of France’s continued strong support for the CWC and the work of the OPCW.