THE HAGUE: A delegation from Saudi Arabia is taking part in the 97th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) being held between July 6-9 in the Hague, Netherlands. The Saudi delegation is chaired by the Saudi ambassador to the Netherlands and permanent representative to the OPCW, Ziyad Al-Attiyah. In a speech, Al-Attiyah stressed the importance of making the Middle East a region free from weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, and urged the need to strengthen cooperation to ban these weapons and prevent their proliferation. Al-Attiyah also highlighted the Kingdom’s close adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention as it strongly believes in the conventions’ objectives and its role in promoting international peace and security. He also reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of the use of chemical weapons or toxic chemicals used as weapons, in any place, by any side and under any circumstances. He also welcomed the second report of the investigation and identification team on the use of chemicals in Syria.