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Middle East and North Africa

Launched destruction of chemical weapons in Syria shows Damascus fulfils country’s commitments

Russian foreign official: at the current stage the equipment for the production of chemical weapons should be brought in the invalid state beyond restoration

Photo EPA/ LOCAL COMMITTEE OF ARBEEN

Photo EPA/ LOCAL COMMITTEE OF ARBEEN

MOSCOW, October 7 (Itar-Tass) - The launch of the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria shows that Damascus is fulfilling the country’s commitments, spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Aleksander Lukashevich said on Monday.

“The launch of the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria within the shortest deadlines and without any delays gives some reasons to state with satisfaction the fact that the Syrian government observes strictly the commitments, which the country had assumed voluntarily according to Damascus’ decision to join the Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the accelerated way,” he said.

“Moscow welcomes this Syrian intention,” Lukashevich added.

“Everybody should realize it well that modern and successful solution of the task to eliminate the chemical weapons in Syria according to a tight schedule depends not only from the actions of the Syrian government,” the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “In this regard, we appeal insistently to those who have specific capabilities to exert an influence on different units of the armed opposition in Syria in order to ensure security of the mission for the monitoring and destruction of chemical weapons that is stipulated under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2118,” Lukashevich noted.

He recalled that the practical destruction of chemical weapons began in Syria on October 6 under the supervision of the group of inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations Organization. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the Syrian authorities are engaged in the destruction of chemical weapons in full compliance with the plan, which the OPCW Executive Council had approved on September 27 and Resolution 2118, which the U.N. Security Council had voted for unanimously.

“At the current stage the equipment for the production of chemical weapons, including mixers and fillers as well as duds, missile warheads and aviation bombs should be brought in the invalid state beyond restoration,” Lukashevich noted.

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