SL Ambassador presents credentials to OPCW in the Hague

A.M.J. Sadiq, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Netherlands

Sri Lanka’s new Ambassador to the Netherlands, Adam M.J. Sadiq presented the Letter of Credence accrediting him as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to the Director General of the OPCW Ahmet Üzümcü at the Headquarters in The Hague recently.

Welcoming Ambassador Sadiq, the Director General briefed him on the progress achieved by the OPCW on chemical weapons disarmament and non-proliferation activities, and appreciated Sri Lanka’s cooperation and assistance in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Ambassador, while acknowledging the assistance from the OPCW for Sri Lanka, sought further cooperation in strengthening capacity building activities in the chemical industry given the country’s strategic geographical location and its rapid industrialisation. He pointed out the dual nature of chemicals in industry and the potential risk of advanced technologies falling into wrong hands.

Ambassador Sadiq encouraged the OPCW to consider Sri Lanka as a regular host nation to hold international and regional events similar to the International Workshop for Safe and Secure Management of Hazardous Substances that took place in Colombo last month.

Both the Ambassador and the Director General underscored the necessity of having strong international cooperation and commitment for the prevention of chemical weapons usage by non-State actors.

Ambassador Sadiq was accompanied by Wathsala Amarasinghe, Second Secretary of the Embassy at the ceremony.

Sri Lanka was one of the early signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention, having signed it on 14 January 1992 and ratified on 19 August 1994.