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Russian and US experts on chemical weapons to join talks in Geneva

Lavrov also note that a tripartite meeting in the Russia-the United States-Brahimi format is not ruled out in Geneva
Photo ITAR-TASS/Artyom Korotaev
Photo ITAR-TASS/Artyom Korotaev

ASTANA, September 12 (Itar-Tass) - Russian and U.S. experts on chemical weapons will join talks in Geneva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the negotiations with Kazakh counterpart Erlan Idrisov here on Thursday.

“We and the Americans are bringing our delegations, a proper expertise is needed,” the Russian minister said. “In Geneva we will discuss an initiative, which gained a broad support, to place Syrian chemical weapons under international control with an idea that this step will allow refusing from the use of military force against Syria,” Lavrov said.

“We and the Americans are bringing in Geneva a delegation of experts, who have the knowledge to decide on the ways to settle such issues,” the minister said. “We should obtain Syria’s accession to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that will make Syria announce the chemical weapons storage sites and the disclosure of the country’s chemical programme,” he said.

“The experts will decide on this basis which concrete measures should be taken to provide security for proper storage sites,” the Russian foreign minister explained. “This is a technical aspect of the issue. This expertise is needed to develop specific plans,” Lavrov noted.

Russia-US-Brahimi meeting possible

Lavrov also noted that  a tripartite meeting in the Russia-the United States-Brahimi format is not ruled out in Geneva.

“There is a chance to avoid a military scenario, but there are some chances that the work to prepare a conference Geneva-2 may turn in a practical stage with an idea that Western partners and partners in the region will ensure a constructive position of an unquenchable Syrian opposition,” Lavrov said. “We do not rule out a possible tripartite meeting to discuss the prospects of Geneva-2,” he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed that it would be wrong not to take advantage of this chance, Lavrov said.

The special envoy of the United Nations Organization and the League of Arab States in Syria is prepared to meet with the U.S. secretary of state and the Russian foreign minister to discuss the preparation to convening a conference Geneva-2, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Hak said on Wednesday.