The European Union welcomes the information that the United States have achieved the complete destruction of its remaining chemical weapons stockpile on 7 July. The liquidation was completed before the scheduled timeline set for September this year in a safe and environmentally sound manner. The EU also commends the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its on-site team verifying the destruction, for their professional work in this context.
The completion of the destruction work marks an important milestone in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) 25 years after its entry into force. The Convention is a key element of the international non-proliferation and disarmament architecture.
The European Union will continue its strong political and financial support to its implementation, with focus on the prevention of re-emergence of chemical weapons and the fight against impunity for their use. At their latest meeting on 26 June, the EU Foreign Ministers approved a new voluntary financial contribution of EUR 5.3 million for the OPCW activities in 2023-26.