MoFA Undersecretary meets OPCW official

Manama:

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the National Committee for the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Use, Stockpiling and Destruction of Chemical Weapons, Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Daij Al Khalifa, met with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, on the sidelines of the 24th Conference of the States Parties to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, held in The Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Dr. Shaikha Rana valued the efforts of the Director-General through his chairmanship of the Organization, noting the pivotal role of the Technical Secretariat team in supporting all States Parties to keep pace with the rapid changes of in the world.

The Undersecretary commended the efforts and initiatives of OPCW to introduce modern technology in the chemical industry for the safe use of chemicals. She also affirmed the keenness of the Kingdom to work with the organisation in order to ensure the proper management of such substances in the service of economic, industrial and social development in various countries of the world and ensuring their peaceful use.

The meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s commitment to the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which comes in line with the Kingdom's firm policy aimed at strengthening international cooperation in order to prevent the proliferation of all types of weapons of mass destruction to achieve international peace and security.  Dr. Shaikha Rana also asserted the Kingdom’s keenness to support and participate actively in all conferences and events organised by OPCW with the aim of realising the objectives of the Convention.

Dr. Shaikha Rana pointed out that the Chemical Weapons Convention constitutes a major contribution to disarmament support, urging non-parties to join the Convention and provide the necessary support to achieve its objectives in order eliminate all weapons of mass destruction and enhance international stability. 

In this regard, she noted that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons contributes to the development of all efforts to protect the international community from nuclear proliferation, as the Organization strives to adopt common aspirational projects and visions to intensify joint cooperation of all countries in this regard. 

For his part, OPCW Director-General commended the cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Organization, hailing their joint action to promote the peaceful uses of chemicals. He praised the important role played by the National Committee for the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Use, Stockpiling and Destruction of Chemical Weapons in the implementation of various joint programs with the Organization for the benefit of the region and the world. He also wished the Kingdom further progress and prosperity.