Moscow says successful liquidation of Syrian chemical weapons depends on both authorities, opposition
MOSCOW. Oct 7 (Interfax) - Successful and timely liquidation of the Syrian chemical weapons depends not on the Syrian authorities alone, but the opposition as well, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
"It should be clear to everyone that the timely and successful implementation of the task to liquidate chemical weapons in Syria in accordance with a strict timeline depends not on the Syrian government alone," Lukashevich was quoted as saying in a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry's website.
"Due to this, we urge those who have the opportunity to put the necessary pressure on various units of the armed opposition in Syria in order to ensure safety of the monitoring mission and to destroy chemical weapons, as it has been stipulated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2118," the diplomat said.
On October 6, the practical destruction of chemical weapons began in Syria under the observation of a group of inspectors of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN, Lukashevich said. The Syrian authorities are carrying out this task in complete accordance with the plan approved by the OPCW Executive Council on September 27 and anonymously supported by the UN Security Council Resolution 2218, he said.
