By IANS,
United Nations : India has called upon all states to destroy their chemical weapon stockpiles under the Convention against Chemical Weapons (CWC) within the shortest possible time to advance the cause of disarmament.
“Disarmament is a primary goal of the Convention and should remain the priority till the complete destruction of all chemical weapons,” Indian External Affairs S. M. Krishna said here Monday at a high level meeting to celebrate 15 years of the convention.
The meeting was attended among others by the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmet Uzumcu.
“Timely destruction of chemical weapons by all States Parties is critical for upholding the credibility and integrity of the CWC,” Krishna said calling on the remaining possessor States to fulfil their obligations within the shortest possible time.
India has “demonstrated our commitment and sense of responsibility by destroying all our chemical weapon stockpiles under OPCW verification within the timeframe prescribed by the Convention.” Krishna said.
“India views the Convention as a unique, multilaterally-negotiated and non-discriminatory disarmament instrument, which serves as a model for the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction,” he said.
As an original signatory to the Convention, India attaches the utmost importance to the success of the Convention and its full and effective implementation, Krishna said.
Apart from national implementation, which India views as key, assistance and protection as well as international cooperation are of interest to a large number of State Parties and deserve greater attention, he said.
India has contributed to the working of the OPCW through participation in several of its subsidiary bodies, Krishna noted.