OPCW Director-General at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister.
OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow today.
The Director-General and the Foreign Minister discussed a range of issues pertinent to the chemical weapons agenda including Russia’s ongoing efforts to fulfil its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the elimination of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons programme, and increasing concerns about the use of chemical weapons by non-state actors.
The Director-General briefed Mr Lavrov on the request made of him by OPCW member states to hold consultations with officials from the Syrian Arab Republic to address concerns that have arisen about the completeness of the initial declaration. The Director-General said, “I hope that the Syrian Arab Republic will take this vital opportunity to shore up confidence with the international community in light of the steps already taken to eliminate the chemical weapons programme.”
Foreign Minister Lavrov noted, “The Russian Federation considers the Chemical Weapons Convention to be one of the most effective mechanisms in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation.”