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UK and NZ to help Russia destroy chemical weapons
Hon Marian Hobbs
The New Zealand Government
July 8, 2004

New Zealand today joined a UK-led international project to help Russia destroy its stocks of lethal chemical weapons.

A joint UK – New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Moscow, promising some NZ$1.2M (c. £450,000) to the programme, which the UK will manage on New Zealand's behalf.

Russia has the world's largest declared stockpile of chemical weapons - more than 40,000 tonnes - consisting mostly of modern nerve agents, stored at seven sites in the west of the country.

Destruction of these stocks is a key requirement of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and a key plank in the global fight against WMD proliferation.

The British and New Zealand Ambassadors to Moscow, Sir Roderic Lyne and Stuart Prior signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said:

"I warmly welcome this UK-New Zealand initiative as another important step in strengthening international co-operation for the destruction of chemical weapons. Countering the threats posed by the proliferation of WMD is a global challenge, and one the UK remains steadfastly committed to."

New Zealand's Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Marian Hobbs said participating in this partnership is one of the most practical ways New Zealand can contribute to global disarmament.

"Actually getting rid of existing weapons is the first part of what it is all about," Marian Hobbs said. "Increasing international cooperation and working with our partners, such as the UK and Russia, to reduce Weapons of Mass Destruction and to prevent them falling into the hands of terrorists, is an excellent example of New Zealand's commitment to disarmament and arms control in action."

British Ambassador Sir Roderic Lyne said:

"The UK is playing a key role in attracting other donors to help Russia destroy its chemical weapons stocks. Such arrangements benefit us all, and I look forward to working closely with our New Zealand and Russian colleagues in implementing this important project."

The New Zealand funding will be used to finance one or more projects to support the chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuch’ye, in the Urals. The UK is already working there with Canada, Norway, the EU and the Czech Republic.

The project will be managed as part of the UK Defence Ministry’s assistance programme, under the terms of the UK-Russia bilateral Agreement.

New Zealand announced this new commitment to the G8 Global Partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction at the recent Sea Island G8 Summit.

This New Zealand-UK-Russia co-operation further demonstrates the need for global efforts to deal with the global problem of weapons of mass destruction.