Press Releases
Working Dinner between Mr. Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Mr. Arias, Director-General, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
On June 21, commencing at 6:55p.m. for approximately 70 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a working dinner with H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director-General, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who is visiting Japan as a guest of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The overview of the dinner is as follows.
1. Mr. Kono highly evaluated the important role of the OPCW in tackling against the repeated use of chemical weapons and stated that Japan intends to develop further cooperative relationship with the OPCW to eliminate chemical weapons and prevent their reemergence.
2. H.E. Mr. Arias appreciated the strong commitment by Japan to the prohibition of chemical weapons and its support for the activities of the OPCW and stated that the OPCW is looking forward to further close cooperation with Japan.
3. Minister Kono and Director-General Arias also exchanged their views on strengthening the regime of the Convention of Chemical Weapons and confirmed their collaboration in its efforts.
[Note] Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The OPCW is an international organization based in the Hague in the Netherlands and established based on the Convention of Chemical Weapons, which entered into force in 1997. For the prohibition and non-proliferation of chemical weapons, the OPCW takes measures to monitor compliance with the Convention, including inspections of the progress of the destruction of chemical weapons and its production facilities, and industrial inspections to prevent the conversion of chemicals to weapons. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the OPCW in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons in the world.
