Lithuania to exchange chemical weapons information

  • 2008-04-18
  • In cooperation with the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
VILNIUS-  From April 7-18, Lithuania put forward aproposal to voluntarily exchange information on chemical weapons dumpedat sea in The Hague at the Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Although the Chemical Weapons Convention is not applied to thosechemical weapons which had been dumped at sea until 1985, Lithuaniaholds dumped chemical weapons an integral part of the disarmamentproblem and putting forward this proposal, Lithuania seeks to encouragecountries to voluntarily exchange information regarding the issue.Lithuania invites Director-General of the Organization for theProhibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Rogelio Pfirter to look forpossibilities for the cooperation among countries, making use of theexperience of this organisation.

According to the Ministry press release, detailed historical data that has beencollected, as well as recommendations of certain countries concerningthe behaviour with the dumped chemical weapons will allow to resolvethe problem that causes enormous damage to the environment moreeffectively in the future and to inform the society and industryrepresentatives on the damage caused by the chemical weapons.

It is well known today that there are chemical weapons dumped at theBaltic Sea, the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Chemical Weapons Convention began in 1997. TheConvention outlaws the development, use, production and selling ofchemical weapons and hold countries responsible for destroying the supplies ofchemical weapons immediately.

During the Second Review Conference of the Chemical WeaponsConvention in The Hague, countries  discussed theimplementation of the Convention and to encourage the cooperation amongcountries taking national measures.

So far there are 183 States Parties to the Chemical WeaponsConvention. Lithuania became one of the States Parties to thisConvention in 1998.