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Conflict in Syria

OPCW verifies destruction of all chemical arsenals in Syria

The OPCW stated in its report that "the Secretariat has verified the destruction of all 27 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) declared by the Syrian Arab Republic"

© EPA-EFE/BART MAAT

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UNITED NATIONS, July 8. /TASS/. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed that all chemical weapons production facilities in Syria have been destroyed, as follows from an OPCW report for May-June 2019.

"As stated in previous reports, the Secretariat has verified the destruction of all 27 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) declared by the Syrian Arab Republic," the document says. "The Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the Council its sixty seventh monthly report (EC-91/P/NAT.4, dated 12 June 2019) regarding activities on its territory related to the destruction of its CWPFs."

According to the report, "all of the chemicals declared by the Syrian Arab Republic that were removed from its territory in 2014 have been destroyed."

"The main focus of the future activities of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic will be on the activities of the FFM (fact-finding mission);… annual inspections of the underground structures already verified as destroyed; and the implementation of Conference decision C-SS-4/DEC.3. These activities will continue to be implemented within the framework of the Structured Dialogue with the Syrian Arab Republic," the document reads.

A number of Western nations have repeatedly accused Damascus of using chemical weapons, providing no evidence to support these allegations. The Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied the accusations. Russia is against additional inspections in Syria to verify the destruction of chemical weapons. Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Georgy Kalamanov said earlier that Syria "has declared and destroyed all its chemical weapons arsenals" and "has been under permanent control of the OPCW" ever since. Russia believes that additional inspections would represent a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

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