OPCW urges Syrian cooperation on chemical weapons

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held a closed-door meeting with its 41-member executive council to discuss the evolving situation in Syria.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held a closed-door meeting with its 41-member executive council to discuss the evolving situation in Syria. The session was prompted by removal of President Bashar al-Assad from power and focused on the future of chemical weapons investigations in the country.

Fernando Arias, head of the OPCW, stated his intention to engage with Syria’s new leadership, urging them to grant investigators access to the country. This move aims to continue efforts to identify those responsible for chemical attacks that killed and injured thousands during the nation’s civil war.

During the special session, Fernando Arias noted positive indications from Syrian authorities about eliminating chemical weapons but emphasized that no formal requests or commitments had been made.

Syria joined the OPCW in 2013 under a U.S.-Russia-brokered agreement to destroy its chemical arsenal. According to the UN and OPCW investigations, banned weapons remain in Syria, and Assad’s forces were found to have repeatedly used sarin and chlorine bombs.

The OPCW previously supervised the destruction of 1,300 metric tons of Syrian chemical weapons and precursors, much of which was neutralized aboard a U.S. ship with specialized hydrolysis systems. 

As the OPCW pushes for renewed cooperation, the international community awaits further clarity on Syria’s commitment to ridding the country of chemical weapons once and for all.

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