Ladies and Gentleman, Dear Colleagues

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Address by Ambassador Branka Latinovic - MFA

Regional Workshop for South-East Europe on the 7th Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention Belgrade, 1- 2 November 2011

Ladies and gentlemen, Dear colleagues,

It is a great pleasure and honour for me to welcome, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, on this exceptional occasion the representatives of all delegations as well as the representatives of the Delegation of the EU- Geneve and UNODA. In the name of all of us I would also like to extend special thanks to Ambassador Paul van den IJssel, President-designate of the Seventh Review Conference. We appreciate very much that Ambassador van den IJseel attend this Workshop in spite of his numerous obligations on the eve of the opening of the 7th Review Conference on BTWC. We have gathered here to participate in the first regional Workshop relating to the Biological Weapons Convention and the Seventh Review Conference. The convening of this Workshop resulted from the initiative of the European Union Joint Action in Support of the BWC, based in Geneve and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Serbia. We are using this opportunity to thank all those who put a lot of personal effort and energy into making this event possible.

Dear colleagues,

The next Review Conference on BTWC, Geneve, 5-22 December 2011, presents a very important international event towards further strengthening the aims and achievements of this international instrument. The Convention remains the keystone of the international architecture to defend against the threat posed by biological and toxin weapons. We appreciate and support very much the effort of the President-designate, Ambassador van den IJssel in the preparation of the Conference and his activities in this regard. The convening of this Workshop we see as one of the possibilities for the further improvement of the national capacity of countries of the region and as an excellent opportunity to be informed on the substantive issues regarding the Seventh Review Conference Our common objective is to contribute in the sense that the world be more secure and safer. The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), together with the Geneva Protocol, presents the most important multilateral instrument banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. Possible risk of development or use of a biological or toxin weapon by non-state-actors is the major challenge for the international community. The best way to prevent it is the full respect of all obligations under the BTWC and compliance with the commitments. The countries of the region pay particular attention to this issue and made significant efforts to harmonize their legislation with the standards and policy relating to this field. The region has achieved significant progress in the improvement of bio-safety and bio-security standards. In spite of the progress achieved we are aware of the fact that a lot remains to be done. The assistance and support on this way by the EU, as well as the ISU/UNODA and some other states and relevant institutions are welcome. National legislation is the necessary prerequisite for a credible and secure system of control of all materials related to the BWC. However, the credible export control system is one more important supplementary instruments as well as membership of the relevant international arrangement on arms export control – the Australian Group. I am sure that we will hear today very good presentations about the additional national activities that need to be undertaken in the implementation of BWC and on the Seventh Review Conference.

I will conclude by wishing you an enjoyable stay in Belgrade, and that you leave our capital with valuable professional experience and memorable impressions.

Thank you.