"We have made major progress, but we are still eight countries short. Among those are countries in the Middle East. As a region in deep conflict, there have been allegations that they have weapons of mass destruction. For the international community to be able to achieve its ultimate goal of freeing the world from the instruments of warfare, these countries need to join. Otherwise, the very purpose which inspires the convention will be frustrated," he said yesterday prior to a workshop titled "Workshop on the Universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention in the Mediterranean Basin and Middle East Region" organized by the OPCW in İstanbul on April 16-17.
"I would like to echo here the statement made by President [Abdullah] Gül yesterday in Bahrain, where he referred very specifically to the need for countries in the Middle East to accede to all treaties or arrangements dealing with weapons of mass destruction. That's a fundamental keynote to also inspire the participants in the workshop here," Pfirter said.
He also expressed satisfaction over the participation of representatives from Egypt, Israel and Myanmar, although they are not parties to the convention, which entered into force in 1997 and has been joined by 187 states with 98 percent of the world's population. So far, 43 percent of the world's declared chemical weapons have been destroyed by the states that have them. The United States, the Russian Federation and Libya still have stockpiles to destroy, he said. Their deadline is April 2012.
Pfirter also said the OPCW was engaged in dialogue with the Israelis and the Egyptians but had not yet had any success with Syria.
Ambassador Ünal Çeviköz, deputy undersecretary of the Turkish foreign ministry, said ahead of the workshop, "A Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction should not be considered a dream."
Turkey ratified the convention in 1997 and actively supports the work of the OPCW, both ambassadors noted.
When asked if Turkey could be an intermediary in ensuring an arms-free Middle East, Pfirter said: "There is no question that Turkey has a special place in the area with its ability to have dialogue with everyone. That's important for us."
More than 70 state representatives are participating in the workshop, which aims to raise awareness about the convention, aid its implementation and promote universalizing the convention, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East.
The OPCW does not have the power to enforce the convention, but it can resort to the United Nations Security Council and has a stringent inspection regime, which has checked over 1,500 sites around the world. Noting that Iran is a signatory to the convention, Pfirter said there might be issues that need further clarification regarding Iran but that all signatory countries have complied well with the treaty so far.
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