Jean Asselborn with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le-Drian;
Credit: (c) MAEE
Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn yesterday participated in the ministerial meeting of the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, held in Paris.
Launched on 23 January 2018 in Paris, the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, which brings together nearly 30 countries and international organisations, aims to complement international mechanisms to combat the proliferation of chemical weapons by working exclusively against the issue of impunity for those responsible for chemical attacks around the world.
The Ministers' exchanges of views allowed for an in-depth discussion of the latest developments in this area, including the attack on the neurotoxic agent in Salisbury, as well as on the chemical weapons strikes in Syria.
Jean Asselborn commented at the meeting: "The need for this partnership has never been more evident than it is today, because it has unfortunately become undeniable that the standard prohibiting the use of chemical weapons is under threat from all sides."
In this context, the head of Luxembourg diplomacy explained that the Grand Duchy supports the idea of setting up a new mechanism for assigning responsibility, after the forced termination of the joint investigation mechanism (JIM), because "the current situation is not tenable. It is unacceptable that independent investigations by OPCW experts should be limited to confirming the use of chemical weapons without being able to provide information on the alleged perpetrators. "
Jean Asselborn also reaffirmed Luxembourg's full support for the international, impartial and independent investigative mechanism on serious crimes committed in Syria since March 2011, as well as the Grand Duchy's willingness to support the role and work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), particularly by strengthening its investigative capacity.
Aside from the conference, Minister Asselborn took the opportunity to exchange views with colleagues and other politicians on other international issues.
