Almost 59% of Syria's stockpiles of toxic agents removed, destroyed - ministry
8 April 2014, 17:52 -- Following a forced break in the destruction of Syrian chemical arsenals prompted by militant activities, this operation has been resumed, and almost 59% of all toxic agents held by the Syrian authorities have been destroyed, Interfax reports.
'After a forced break caused by attacks by the armed radical opposition in the Latakia province areas adjacent to the Turkish border, the Syrian authorities resumed transportation of components and precursors of chemical weapons. On April 4, another consignment of chemicals with a total weight of over 64 tonnes was delivered to the port of Latakia.
Thus, about 59 percent of all of Syria's stockpiles of toxic agents have by now been removed and destroyed,' the ministry said on its website. 'The suspension of chemical removal was necessary in view of the real threat to transport convoys posed by extremists and the impossibility to guarantee their safe passage down along routes,' the ministry said.
Under current circumstances, Moscow actively cooperates with the countries involved so they can exert all their influence on the armed opposition to normalize the situation in the Latakia region and fulfill the OPCW-approved (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) plan to remove chemical weapon components from Syria, the Russian foreign ministry said.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_08/Almost-59-of-Syrias-stockpiles-of-toxic-agents-removed-destroyed-ministry-2614/
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
