Mikdad reiterates Syria’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations regarding chemical weapons

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Fayssal Mikdad reiterated Syrian government’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations regarding the destruction of chemical weapons and facilitating humanitarian relief.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday Mikdad said “We hope this issue [destruction of chemical weapons] won’t be politicized. It’s purely technical.”
Syria is on track to ship out all chemical stockpiles from the country by April according to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the resolutions of the executive board of the Organization on Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW.)
On the issue of humanitarian assistance Mikdad said the Syrian government is willing to cooperate to deliver humanitarian assistance to the affected areas. He added Syria insists on preventing relief from reaching the armed terrorist groups saying “We want the U.N. to guarantee that this aid does not reach the hands of terrorist gunmen.”
“The issue of presidency is now behind us and this is a flagrant interference in Syria’s internal affairs” Mikdad said. “This is completely finished and we are not ready to discuss it at all, at all.”
“I think Moscow was clear from the start that there’s nothing in Geneva Communiqué about relinquishing power and the president” he added.
Mikdad discussed last Sunday with Head of the Joint UN-OPCW Mission Sigrid Kaag the progress which has been achieved in Syria’s implementation of its obligations according to the Chemical Weapons Convention and means to continue the standing constructive cooperation between Syria and the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Dr Mikdad stressed then that Syria is committed to implementing its obligations in this regard in spite of the difficult circumstances going on currently.
He pointed out attempts of some countries to politicize this issue at a time when Syria dealt with it in complete cooperation and coordination with the joint UN-OPCW mission.
Last month Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem discussed with Kaag in Damascus means of continuing the standing cooperation between Syria and the OPCW regarding the program set to dismantle the chemical weapons in Syria.