30.09.2015.
Presentation of the CASM Programme in OSCE
At the headquarters of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, a meeting of the Executive Committee of the CASM Programme (Capacity development program for the management of conventional ammunition stockpiles in Serbia) was held, chaired by Chief of the Department for Defence Technologies Major General Dr. Bojan Zrnic.
In addition to the delegation of the Ministry of Defence, the meeting was attended by Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre Marcel Pesko and Deputy Permanent Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia Steliana Nedera with associates.During the meeting of the Executive Board, the participants were also addressed by Head of the Permanent Mission of Serbia to OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna Ambassador Vuk Zugic.
The Capacity development program for the management of conventional ammunition stockpiles in Serbia was established in order to assist the Ministry of Defence of Serbia to increase and improve safety of storages of conventional ammunition, to improve infrastructure facilities for the demilitarization of the Technical Repair Bureau in Kragujevac, as well as to resolve surplus ammunition (ammunition filled with white phosphorous and special mixtures) and napalm powder.
Within the CASM Programme, which is implemented in cooperation of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces with the OSCE and UNDP, 162 tons of surplus napalm powder have been destroyed, and deactivation and neutralization of the final elements of ammunition filled with white phosphorous of 105 mm caliber and installation of conductive flooring in TRZ Kragujevac have been conducted. In addition, the project of the installation of video surveillance and fire detection system in the workshops for dismantling ammunition in TRZ Kragujevac has been completed.
During the stay at the OSCE headquarters, a meeting was also held with representatives of donor countries, during which they presented the results so far on the implementation of the CASM Programme. The meeting, which was met with good response by the donor nations, highlighted the fact that the Programme is a good example of cooperation between institutions in Serbia with international organizations (UNDP and OSCE) and donor countries, and further support for the realization of the CASM Programme has been announced.
Also, the donors were presented with the future activities within the CASM Programme, which include the dismantling and destruction of surplus ammunition filled with special mixtures using the capacity of the defence industry in Serbia, as well as the final neutralization of the remaining elements of lots of ammunition elements filled with white phosphorous. Upon the completion of these activities, which is planned by the end of March 2016, the Ministry of Defence will no longer dispose of the surpluses of the special ammunition, which will significantly reduce the risk of emergency events.
The continuation of activities within the CASM Programme will include the construction of a system for improvement of safety of the dismantling process in TRZ Kragujevac and the reconstruction of infrastructure in the stock Mirnicka River.
