The OPCW Deputy Director-General, Mrs. Grace Asirwatham, with Ecuador’s Minister of Industry and Productivity, Dr. Ramiro Gonzalez.
The OPCW Deputy Director-General, Mrs Grace Asirwatham, visited Quito on 24 and 25 June 2013 where she opened the 14th regional meeting of CWC National Authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean and met with senior Government officials of Ecuador.
In her opening statement to the meeting, the Deputy Director-General noted the strong commitment of States Parties in the region to the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and expressed appreciation for their support of the OPCW, in particular their efforts to ensure full implementation of the Convention. She encouraged participants to promote awareness of the Convention among their domestic stakeholders and to continue building national capacities for implementing the Convention.
While in Quito the Deputy Director-General held meetings with the Minister of Industry and Productivity, Dr. Ramiro Gonzalez; with the Deputy Minister of Defense, Dr. Carlos Larrea; and with the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Under Secretary General for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ambassador Galo Galarza. Mrs. Asirwatham briefed the officials on the outcomes of the Third Review Conference in April 2013 and on the status of implementation of the CWC. She commended Ecuador for its strong commitment to the Convention, and emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation at the regional and sub-regional levels to improve implementation of the Convention.