Russia Today: Assad’s government must submit a comprehensive list of its chemical weapons stocks within a week ahead of their transfer and destruction, US Secretary John Kerry said at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The deal worked out between Moscow and Washington on settling the Syria crisis stipulates that Syria’s chemical weapons will be rapidly destroyed.
Kerry said the Syrian government should provide the UN with full access to its chemical sites, and insisted that the plan to remove the chemical arsenal should be transparent. It remains undecided which side or country will actually work at destroying the stock.
Kerry said UN inspectors must be on the ground no later than November while destruction of chemical weapons must be complete by half way through 2014.
If Damascus fails to comply with the plan, a response in accordance with UN Charter Chapter 7 will follow, Kerry said, in a reference to the use of military force. The chapter provides for “action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security” in the event other measures fail.
But Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said the agreement did not include any potential use of force against Syria. He however said the deviations from the plan, including those as attacks on UN inspectors, would be brought to the UN Security Council. The body would take care of further steps.
Categories: Europe