TIRANA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) office in Albania said Tuesday that it had assisted Albania's army in disposing 140 tonnes of hazardous military chemicals.
The disposal marks the end of a joint project between the Albanian defense ministry and the OSCE to destroy surplus conventional ammunition and dispose of dangerous chemicals stored in military premises across the country, OSCE said.
About 140 tonnes of two napalm components -- aluminum oxide and xylenol -- were packed on Tuesday in Port of Durres, Albania's main port, and are ready to be shipped to France for destruction, OSCE said.
OSCE ambassador to Tirana, Bernd Borchardt, urged other western Balkan countries to follow Albania's model of demilitarization and "make best use of existing infrastructure and an experienced workforce."
Borchardt stressed that the OSCE, with assistance from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Norway and Turkey, had helped Albania dispose of hundreds of tonnes of toxic chemicals and excess ammunition.
