Africa-Press – Angola. The Secretary of State for National Defence, José Maria de Lima, said this Monday in Luanda that Angola is committed to implementing the agreement on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The information was advanced at the opening of the Basic Course on Emergency Response to Chemical Incidents for Member States of Portuguese-speaking countries.
José Maria de Lima told journalists that, despite the current limitations, the National Authority for Arms Control and Disarmament (ANCAD) is committed to the mission of implementing the convention in the context of protecting the country.
The Secretary of State recalled that Angola joined the Convention in 2015 and immediately took the necessary measures to create the ANCAD, with the mission of fulfilling its obligations, in partnership with all the institutions involved in the process.
He specified that the Basic Course on Emergency Response to Chemical Incidents for Portuguese-speaking States Parties aims to improve the country’s assistance and protection against chemical threats, the improvement of the national capabilities of the Member States in favor of peace, security regional and international.
According to the official, the course is the result of a partnership between the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Government of Angola.
Cláudio Crispim, deputy national director of ANCAD, said that the country is very well served in terms of preparing rapid response teams for this type of emergencies, both at the level of the Civil Protection and Fire Service, and the Angolan Armed Forces.
He said that the list of concerns of countries fighting chemical weapons includes their non-proliferation, elimination of existing ones, control so that they do not fall into the custody of criminal and terrorist organizations, as well as the protection of populations in the event of attacks and incidents.
The Basic Course on Emergency Response to Chemical Incidents for Portuguese-speaking States Parties runs until Friday and is attended by representatives from Angola, Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau.
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