Aleksandr Lukashenko meets with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü

Belarus is interested in the establishment of a regional office of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Belarus, BelarusianPresident Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü on 19 May.

The Belarusian President emphasized that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons received the Nobel Peace Prize. “I believe that the organization deserved this prize, because you and your organization were probably the first to make such a big step to destroy chemical weapons. We have always collaborated and will keep cooperating with your organization (our organization, as we are its member state). We honor the Chemical Weapons Convention. In this respect you can count on our support and assistance,” the Belarusian leader said.

Belarus is interested in the organization of a regional center of the OPCW on the territory of Belarus. “We are in favor of promoting the interests of the organization on the territory of Belarus and would like to have a regional branch of the organization in Belarus. If a positive decision is made, we will do our best to make sure that specialists working on the elimination and prohibition of chemical weapons feel comfortable here,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

The President said that the OPCW never had claims to the operation of chemical and petrochemical companies of the country. “I assure you that Belarusian companies will remain productive,” the Belarusian leader said.

Ahmet Üzümcü, for his part, praised the high level of cooperation between the OPCW and Belarus. “Our organization thanks Belarus for the assistance that your country provides to us, including in destroying chemical weapons on the territory of Syria,” the OPCW Director-General said.

“Our main objective is to destroy chemical weapons on our planet. We are not far from achieving this goal. About 82% of all chemical weapons which exist in the world have been already destroyed. All countries, members of the convention, have made a big contribution to the implementation of its provisions,” Ahmet Üzümcü said.