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Middle East and North Africa

Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Kerry talk on Syrian chemical weapons

Talks held at initiative of U.S. side, the ministry notes

Photo EPA/MARTIAL TREZZINI

Photo EPA/MARTIAL TREZZINI

MOSCOW, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - The situation around Syria in the context of the agreement to place its chemical weapons under international control was in the focus of telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the Russian foreign ministry reported on Friday.

The conversation was held at the initiative of the U.S. side, the ministry noted.

On Friday, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons hase received official Syrian report on its stockpile of chemical weapons, organization representatives told Reuters.

OPCW expects further data from Syria on this subject in the coming days.

The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) wass slated to meeton September 22 to discuss ways to implement the Russian-U.S. framework agreement for the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons stocks.

However, it has now been postponed, as repoted by the OPCW press service. No reason for this recision has been voiced.

Prevsiously, Russia announced that it can send experts on chemical weapons to Syria and the Russian Armed Forces can take part in the transportation of Syrian chemical weapons and their destruction, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday on the sidelines of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

Earlier this month Syria became a full member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, thus launching the process of eliminating its chemical weapons stockpile.

Middle East and North Africa

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