Foreign Trade Minister Kimmo Sasi´s opening remarks to the plenary meeting of the Missile Technology Control Regime, 10.10.2000

Foreign Trade Minister Kimmo Sasi opened the plenary meeting of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in Helsinki on Tuesday, October 10. The week-long gathering brought together some 200 diplomats and missile technology experts from the MTCR´s 32 member countries.

In his opening remarks, Mr Sasi stated that the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems are a matter of deep concern that casts a shadow over international security. The uncontrolled spread of such weapons is a threat to both global and regional stability. Over the past few years, a growing number of states have tested short and medium-range ballistic missiles. This indicates that states are acquiring and developing new missiles as well as increasing their own ability to manufacture them.

In Mr Sasi´s opinion, the most important task of an export monitoring organisation such as the MTCR is to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. In recent years, the MTCR has strengthened its activities in response to new security challenges. If the international community is to meet these challenges effectively, further measures are needed to restrict the export of missiles and missile technology.

Ambassador Pekka Ojanen, from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was elected chairman of the MTCR for a one-year period.