CONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL WEAPONS CLOSES

( Editorial: --> 6791 ) ZAGREB, Dec 8 (Hina) - The Organization for the Banning of Chemical Weapons closed its second conference in The Hague on Monday. Representatives of 108 countries, including Croatia, were in attendance. The Croatian delegation included representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs and defense, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The Organization was established late in April, when a convention banning chemical weapons came into effect. This convention advocates cooperation among the Organization's member-countries in improving chemical technology and the exchange of data, with the aim to develop chemical industry. However, this is where the interests of technologically highly developed countries and developing countries clash. The participants in The Hague conference concluded that control over the manufacturing of chemical weapons had begun. According to available data, there are seven other countries, besides the United States and Russia, which have confirmed they have chemical weaponry at their disposal. The conference raised the question of financing the annihilation of chemical weapons. Germany and Japan advocate the financing through the Organization for the Banning of Chemical Weapons, while other countries advocate that the annihilation be financed by countries which have the weaponry on their territory, or have left it on foreign territory, like Japan did in China. Some 40,000 tons of chemical weaponry has to be annihilated in the Russian Federation alone. Due to special interest, the U.S. and the European Union will assist. A final agreement on financing the annihilation of chemical weapons was not reached. (hina) ha jn 081845 MET dec 97