The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton welcomed a Russian-US agreement to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles and offered the bloc's help with implementing the agreement.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday announced that the United States and Russia have agreed a plan to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.
The US and Russia agreed on the scope, the verification and monitoring and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.
"I welcome the agreement reached between the United States and the Russian ederation to ensure the swift and secure destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and programme. They are committed to finalising the details of this agreement and submitting a draft decision to the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the next few days. This will set out detailed procedures for the expeditious destruction of materiel, the termination of the chemical weapons programme and a stringent verification process. I call on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities in agreeing swiftly on a resolution that will give further authority to the whole process,’’ Ashton said in a statement.
‘’I join the US and the Russian Federation in demanding that Syria provide the OPCW, the U) and other supporting personnel with immediate rights and unfettered access to inspect any and all sites in Syria. I welcome the statement of commitment by the Syrian authorities immediately to apply the Chemical Weapons Convention on a provisional basis prior to its entry into force,’’ she added.
Ashton said EU stands ready ‘’to offer further support to the OPCW in carrying out its important and urgent tasks,’’ as she mentioned that a number of EU Member States ‘’have the technical knowledge necessary to assist in securing sites, and in dismantling and destroying certain chemical agents.’’
She expressed the hope that the US-Russia agreement ‘’will pave the way for the resumption of efforts towards a political solution to the Syrian conflict. I urge all partners in the international community to support the swift holding of a peace conference on Syria and to work together toward bringing an end to the suffering of the Syrian people."
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also welcomed the agreement. "This is an important step towards the goal of ensuring the swift, secure and verifiable elimination of Syria’s stocks of chemical weapons."
‘’Full and unreserved compliance from the Syria government is now key," he said.
"The international community has a responsibility to make sure that the long-standing norm and practice against the use of chemical weapons is maintained, and violators are held accountable. The agreement should give further momentum to a political solution to end the horrendous bloodshed in Syria."
Earlier, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged Syria to show readiness "without delay" to destroy the weapons.
In his annual « state of the union’’ address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Barroso stressed that "the use of chemical weapons is a horrendous act that deserves a clear condemnation and a strong answer."
"The international community, with the United Nations at its centre, carries a collective responsibility to sanction these acts and to put an end to this conflict." "The proposal to put Syria's chemical weapons beyond use is potentially a positive development," he added.
"The Syrian regime must now demonstrate that it will implement this without any delay."
In a resolutin adopted on Thursday, the European Parliament said ‘’the use of chemical weapons in Syria demands a clear, strong, targeted and united response not exclusing eventual deterrent measures.’’
MEPs said the UN Security Council must get the report of the UN inspection team as soon as possible and they also voice support for the proposal to hand the Syrian chemical weapons to international community for its destruction as soon as possible.