Under the high patronage of the President of the Algerian Republic, Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of National Defence, a VIP Day was held Tuesday at the Maritime Pines Exhibition Center of Algiers, within the framework of the “Chemex-Africa” Exercise hosted by Algeria, in cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The exercise was held from 23 September to 04 October 2023, the Algerian Ministry of National Defence said in a statement.
General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army, chaired the opening ceremony of the VIP Day, in presence of Prime Minister Aymane Benabderrahmane, his Excellency Ambassador Fernando Arias Gonzàlez, Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, her Excellency Ambassador Odette Melono, Deputy Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Diplomatic Weapons, numerous Ministers, Heads of diplomatic delegations accredited in Algeria of the countries taking part to this event, and high level representatives of African organizations.
General Chanigriha delivered an address in which he welcomed all the participants, expressing his sincere gratitude to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for choosing Algeria to organize this international event. In this context, he emphasized that Algeria is convinced of the need to strengthen international security and peace, through the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, which constitute a real threat to mankind and the future of humanity.
“Algeria reiterates its firm belief in the need to consolidate international security and peace, through the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, which constitute a serious threat to mankind and the very future of humanity,” he stressed.
He further pointed out that the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in a quasi-global manner in Africa is proof of the commitment of its countries not to hold or develop such weapons.
“There is also a need to strengthen border control of the dual-use chemical’s flow. Improving the regulations for these fields of activity, will address the security challenges inherent to the likelihood of misuse of chemicals by terrorist groups,” he noted.
“We hope that the Organization and other partners in this area will pay special attention to the Organization’s Africa programme, ensuring its sustainability, and taking into account the regional reality and the actual needs of our continent,” he concluded.
It should be mentioned that the VIP Day programme included the conduct of an exercise simulating a terrorist chemical attack, by trainees from African countries, including Algeria, followed by the opening of an exhibition for professionals in the CBRNe (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive) field, as well as specialized companies and organizations concerned with the Convention. On this occasion, a commemorative post stamp of the “Chemex-Africa” event was issued in presence of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. (Source & Photo © Algerian Ministry of National Defence)
