OSCE Chairperson-in-Office welcomes decision to award Nobel Peace Prize to Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

TASHKENT, 11 October 2013 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara welcomed today a decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for its contribution to reducing and eliminating the chemical weapons throughout the world.

“Awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize 2013 to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an acknowledgement of its role in ridding the world of one of the weapons of mass destruction and its contribution to assuring peace and stability in the world,” Leonid Kozhara said.

He said that a historic decision, opening a way for peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict was adopted by the OPCW Executive Council on 27 September 2013 under the chairmanship of Ukraine.

“I am pleased to note that a vast majority of the OSCE participating States and its Partners for Co-operation shares an idea on eliminating the weapons of mass destruction and has acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention,” the OSCE Chair stressed. “Achieving universal membership in this Convention will promote the idea of peace and stability throughout the world."

Leonid Kozhara stressed that banning not only the chemical weapons but biological and nuclear weapons as well will be crucial for strengthening regional and global security. He said these issues are in the particular focus of the Ukrainian OSCE Chairmanship.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara continues his visit to Uzbekistan that started yesterday. The visit is a part of his tour of Central Asia.