News

Lithuania expects support of foreign countries for its initiative to promote the cooperation of international community on the issues of dumped chemical weapons. On 14 May at Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign diplomats, who reside in Lithuania, were acquainted with Lithuania’s plans to submit a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly this autumn.

Political Director of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eitvydas Bajarūnas, who attended the event, stressed that the topic was important not only to the Baltic Sea States, but also to other countries.

Political Director E.Bajarūnas said that over the past few years Lithuania had consistently aimed to ensure that the issues of dumped chemical weapons should receive international community’s attention. Conferences and seminars were organized at Lithuania’s initiative.

This topic was also presented at the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to the European Union and during bilateral meetings.

In Vilnius, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the OPCW Vaidotas Verba presented to foreign diplomats the UN resolution and Lithuania’s contribution to the solution of this issue.

According to the Ambassador, the resolution will urge on the countries to exchange available information on the location and state of sea-dumped chemical weapons, to inform the public about the threats caused by these weapons, to prepare guidelines for behaviour if unexpectedly encountered with sea-dumped chemical weapons, and to organize seminars and conferences on this issue.

V.Verba said that the UN resolution could become a major tool for ensuring constant attention of the international community to the issue of dumped chemical weapons. This would be Lithuania’s first resolution, submitted to the UN.

Representatives of the countries were assured that Lithuania did not suggest discussing the issues of clearing and destroying chemical weapons.