Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia visits CTBTO Preparatory Commission Headquarters

Mr. Luvsan Erdenechuluun, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, visited the headquarters of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization on Tuesday, 22 May 2001. The Minister was welcomed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Wolfgang Hoffmann. Mongolia, the sixth State to ratify the Treaty, deposited its instruments of ratification with the United Nations Secretary-General on 8 August 1997. Mongolia is also host to three International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities: a primary seismic station and an infrasound station in Songino; and a radionuclide station in Ulaanbaatar. (The IMS is a global network of monitoring facilities which verifies compliance with the terms of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.) At the meeting, Mr. Hoffmann noted the Facility Agreement between the Preparatory Commission and Mongolia signed in June 2000. This Agreement grants legal authority to the Preparatory Commission to work on Mongolian territory to establish, upgrade and maintain the stations.

Mr. Erdenechuluun urged countries who had not ratified the Treaty already to do so, stressing the important role Treaty ratification plays in strengthening international peace and security. The Minister proposed that an international workshop be conducted in Mongolia, as this would have a very beneficial effect on the region.