The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, visited Stockholm on 3 June 2013 where he met with senior Swedish Government officials and opened the 11th International Symposium on Protection against Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, organised by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI).
The Director-General met with the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Frank Belfrage, and the Director-General of FOI, Mr Jan-Olof Lind, and he participated in a discussion with Swedish authorities hosted by the Director-General of the Swedish Export Controls and Non-Proliferation Agency (ISP), Prof. Christer Ahlström.
The Director-General updated these officials on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, including the destruction of chemical arsenals and emerging challenges in industry verification, and highlighted the importance of achieving universality of the treaty. He commended Sweden for its firm commitment and support to the work of the OPCW and was assured of its continued support.
In his opening address to the FOI symposium, the Director-General spoke on the theme of making the CWC a permanent barrier against chemical weapons. In this regard he stressed the need to see the chemical weapons ban not only as the Convention itself but as the norm that underpins it, which must be preserved and strengthened in the name of international peace and security.
While in Stockholm the Director-General also participated in a panel discussion organised by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) entitled “The International Response to Allegations of CW Use: Status and Implications”.