During today's closed meetings of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Council in The Hague, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassanin al-Sheiban declared that the country is determined to quickly get rid of any remaining chemical weapons following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Al-Sheiban called on the international community to provide assistance in this matter. He became the first Syrian foreign minister to speak before a designated body on disarmament.
"Syria is ready...for a resolution of the long-standing problem, which began decades ago and was imposed on us by previous regimes," said Al-Sheiban to the delegates. "Legal obligations, arising from violations, are a legacy that we inherited, but did not fulfill."
The Syrian foreign minister confirmed the country’s readiness to eliminate remaining chemical weapon stockpiles, and concluded that international assistance is essential in this process. Planning has already begun, but help from other countries will be of key importance.
Al-Sheiban emphasized that Syria needs technical and logistical assistance, as well as local expertise. He stated that despite delays from the Assad regime, it is necessary to act quickly, although it is important to complete the process thoroughly, as Syria will not be able to handle this independently.
As a result of investigations conducted into the use of chemical weapons in Syria, it was established that the Syrian government forces under Assad’s leadership utilized chlorine and sarin during the civil war, resulting in the deaths and injuries of thousands of people. Syria joined the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons after an agreement between the USA and Russia, and 1,300 tons of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed.
The statement by the Syrian foreign minister came against the backdrop of political changes in the country, which represent a new historic possible for the full disclosure of Syria's chemical weapon program. At this time, inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expressed a desire to visit locations associated with the chemical weapon program, developed by Assad over the past decades.
