Opening Statement by Mr. Vassiliy Takev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Co-chairman of Working Table III

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure and honour for me to address the opening session of the Stability Pact Seminar on Small Arms and Light Weapons Collection and Destruction, which has a prominent place on the agenda of the Bulgarian Co-chairmanship of Working Table 3 of the Stability Pact during the second half of this year. Just 2 weeks ago Sofia hosted the meeting of Working Table 3, where a comprehensive review of the achievements and the way ahead within the Pact’s security dimension was conducted. We therefore expect that the present conference, emerged as a joint initiative of Bulgaria and Canada and following right after the Sofia meeting, will provide a new useful input to our cooperative efforts for implementing the Stability Pact principles and objectives in the specific area of small arms and light weapons (SALW). Guided by the principle of regional ownership of the Stability Pact, Bulgaria applies its best efforts to promote active regional security and defence dialogue and cooperation on the basis of Euro-Atlantic principles and values.

Our warm gratitude goes to Canada for the generous financial support making possible the organisation of this meeting. At the same time we do consider this joint initiative of Bulgaria and Canada, to be an exemplary model of cooperation between a partner country from the region and a NATO member state, involved as a donor in the Stability Pact process.

Recent events in Yugoslavia have shown that we are living, indeed, a decisive moment for the future of South Eastern Europe as a region which should become an inseparable part of the Euro-Atlantic community. We are particularly pleased to welcome today among us a representative of the new democratic leadership of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In extending the invitation, we were guided by the understanding that democratic Yugoslavia has its place reserved in the Stability Pact process and should participate in regional security dialogue and cooperation. We strongly support democratic reforms in Yugoslavia, including in the military field, and we would like to see this country as a responsible, transparent and predictable partner in international relations.

As to the specific agenda of the Seminar, let me briefly point out that Bulgaria, as a country conducting accession negotiations with the EU and a serious candidate for membership in NATO, is willing and ready to contribute substantially to the efforts of the international community aimed at curbing uncontrolled proliferation and excessive availability of small arms and light weapons in particular in areas of conflict and instability. We share the overall concern that the supply and availability of such weapons play a significant role in exacerbating most of the current armed conflicts and continue to be a source of human casualties and suffering.

In view of its complexity and manifold character, the challenge posed by the destabilising proliferation and use of small arms and light weapons needs to be tackled collectively and in a synergetic and coherent manner. We can see such a collective response by the international community taking shape at different levels - national, regional and global. The United Nations for example has taken the lead in elaborating a global and comprehensive approach, supplemented by activities in other fora such as: the EU Joint Action; NATO/EAPC’s Ad hoc Working Group, OSCE’s work on a framework normative document; the input by the Wassenaar Arrangement and - last but not least – the Stability Pact format. We regard all these activities as mutually reinforcing and conducive to achieving our common goals.

In South Eastern Europe possible measures for control over SALW proliferation are, indeed, a major aspect of the efforts for post-conflict rehabilitation in areas of recent armed conflicts. The curbing of illegal traffic and uncontrolled excessive accumulation of small arms and light weapons in such areas with still existing conflict potential can make a substantial contribution to the stability and security of the whole region. At the same time measures for exercising such control should be tailored to the concrete problems and interests in the field of security, valid for each and every country in the region.

On the other hand, countries undergoing radical defence reforms and modernisation in the context of their Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, face the problem of dealing with surpluses of some weapons and of conversion and dismantling of obsolete facilities for arms production.

Led by their common interests in this field, the countries of South Eastern Europe under the auspices of the Stability Pact have undertaken in November 1999 in Istanbul a first step towards enhanced regional dialogue and cooperation on the subject. In a joint Declaration they have declared their readiness to intensify efforts to:

• interdict and seize illicit transfers of SALW

• destroy seized and confiscated SALW

• destroy SALW which they hold under their control in excess of their legitimate needs and take all necessary measures to secure the stockpiles and weapons under their control and necessary to their defence

At the same time the commitment undertaken by the donor community under the Stability Pact implies supplying a significant amount of material and financial assistance in order to back-up the effort undertaken by the regional countries. In this respect the US-Norwegian initiative of sending expert teams to interested countries with a view to develop a complex assessment of the each country’s particular needs is to be specially commended.

I am confident that the present Seminar by focusing specifically and in a practice-oriented manner on all aspects of collection and destruction of small arms and light weapons, can play a useful role in furthering exchange of information and experience, developing practical regional co-operation, raising financial assistance and, finally, producing material results in this area of increased international interest and attention.

Concluding my statement, I would like to say again "welcome" to all of you and wish you a most productive and pleasant stay in Bulgaria.