Acting Executive Council Chairperson H.E Mrs. Odette Melono (front row, center) Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu (third from left) and members of the OPCW delegation at the Chemical Weapon Destruction Facility at Kizner, Udmurt Republic in April 2014.
A delegation of the OPCW Executive Council led by Acting Chairperson H.E Mrs. Odette Melono, Ambassador of Cameroon, and accompanied by Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu, visited the Russian Federation from 14 to 17 April, where the members visited the Chemical Weapon Destruction Facility (CWDF) at Kizner, Udmurt Republic and held discussions with senior officials in Moscow on the destruction program.
In Moscow, the delegation held separate meetings with the Chairman of the State Committee on Chemical Disarmament Mr. M. V Babich, Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. D Manturov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the State Duma Mr. L. I Kalashnikov, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee for Defence and Security Mr. V. A. Ozerov, Director Department on Non-proliferation and Arms Control Issues of the Foreign Ministry Mr. M. I. Ulyanov, and Director of the Department Ministry of Industry and Trade Mr. V. I. Khlostov.
In Kizner the delegation was briefed on the CWDF’s technology, destruction schedule, verification arrangements, and safety and security measures. The delegation also visited the operational zone at the facility and observed the ongoing destruction process.
Mr. V. Savelyev, Head of the Udmurt Republic Government, briefed the delegation on the public outreach activities with the local community in Kizner. The OPCW delegation also visited a school built by the Federal Agency for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons.
Executive Council delegates make annual visits to the Russian Federation and the United States of America to monitor progress in both countries towards eliminating their chemical arsenals, in accordance with a decision by the Conference of States Parties.
The Russian Federation has thus far destroyed 78% of its declared amount of Category 1 chemical weapons. The CWDF at Kizner is the 7th and final facility to enter into operation in Russia and was inaugurated in December 2013.