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Ban Ki-moon: UN chemical weapons experts to leave Syria Saturday morning

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS archive
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS archive

CAIRO, August 29. (Itar-Tass) – UN chemical weapons experts will leave Syria Saturday morning, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, told journalists. “The inspection team will come out of Syria Saturday morning and will hopefully report to me,” he noted.

At the same time, he emphasized that “using chemical weapons by any side of a conflict regardless of its conditions is a crime against humanity.”

Ban Ki-moon added that due to the UN mission in Syria coming to an end he will have to reconsider the program for his visit to Austria. “As I will have to spearhead work with experts, I had to cut short my visit and refrain from participating in the Alpbach European Forum,” he clarified. UN Secretary General plans to meet Austria’s President, Chancellor and head of the Foreign Ministry; these meetings have not been cancelled.

During his phone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday night, Secretary General asked for time for the UN mission to finish its inspection. “I assured him that we will provide all available information and analytic data,” he said. Moreover, Ban Ki-moon noted, that during the talk he “expressed his desire for the international chemical experts to continue their work in Syria.”

Earlier this week Ban Ki-moon announced that experts would need four more days to conclude their inspection; afterwards they’re to analyze gathered data.