Last Batch of Chemical Stockpiles Exits Syria – OPCW

News | 23.06.2014 | 20:02

The Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed Monday the withdrawal of the last consignment of chemical stockpiles from Syria. “A major landmark in this mission has been reached today. The last of the remaining chemicals identified for removal from Syria were loaded this afternoon aboard the Danish ship Ark Futura,” OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü said at a news briefing broadcast live on the OPCW website. “The next stage in this mission is the completion of the maritime operations to deliver the chemicals for destruction at the assigned facility on board the US vessel Cape Ray and at commercial facilities in Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America,” Üzümcü said. The director-general added that the neutralization of chemical substances aboard the Cape Ray could be completed within 60 days. After a deadly chemical weapons attack on a Damascus suburb on August 21, Russia made a proposal to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal that was later approved of by the US. Following the deal, Syria agreed to hand over its estimated 1,000-metric-ton arsenal to international control and joined the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention. RIA Novosti