OPCW Deputy Director-General, Ambassador Grace Asirwatham and attendees of the 12th Regional Meeting of National Authorities in Eastern Europe.
The OPCW Deputy Director-General, Ambassador Grace Asirwatham, paid a visit to the Republic of Croatia on 13 and 14 May 2013 and inaugurated, together with Dr Mrs. Vesna Batistić Kos, Assistant Minister in the Directorate-General for Multilateral Affairs and Global Issues of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the 12th Regional Meeting of National Authorities in Eastern Europe. The meeting was held in Zagreb.
In her opening statement, the Deputy Director-General stressed the importance of regional meetings as a forum for National Authorities to review and discuss issues relating to the practical implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to share experiences and best practices, and to foster cooperation among States of the region. Mrs. Asirwatham commended the National Authorities of States in Eastern Europe for their efforts to strengthen the effective national implementation in the region and urged them to actively participate in the deliberations, in particular regarding new initiatives and approaches, technical tools and procedures, and practical information related to national implementation.
During the bilateral meeting with the Assistant Minister, the Deputy Director General briefed her on the outcomes of the recently concluded Third Review Conference. Mrs. Asirwatham also provided an overview of the current status of the implementation of the CWC and the ongoing work of the OPCW to achieve the objectives of the Convention. The discussion also covered activities conducted in the framework of the organisation’s programmes on International Cooperation and Assistance (ICA) in Croatia, and reiterated the importance of promoting cooperation among States of the region.