Mikdad: Resolving issue of chemical weapons couldn’t have been done without Syria’s serious and responsible attitude towards it

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad on Sunday met head of the joint mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations Sigrid Kaag and the accompanying delegation as part of her final visit to Syria since the mission’s work will be concluded by the end of September.
Talks during the meeting touched on the latest achievements and the progress made in terms of Syria fulfilling its obligations as per the Chemical Weapons Convention, with Mikdad pointing out that resolving the issue of chemical materials in Syria couldn’t have been done without the serious and responsible manner in which Syria tackled this issue as per the instructions of President Bashar al-Assad.
He said that the productive cooperation and coordination between Syria, the OPCW, and the UN resulted in the achievements that were made, noting that while Syria was working diligently to uphold its obligations, certain countries known for their hostility towards Syria were trying to hinder the process, hamper cooperation with the mission, and politicize the Syrian chemical issue, noting that these same countries continue to support armed terrorist groups that commit heinous crimes against Syria.
For her part, Kaag voiced satisfaction over the achievements that were made and gratitude for the constructive cooperation on the part of the Syrian government, which led to the success of the join mission’s task in Syria which will conclude its activities on September 30th as there are no unresolved issues left.
She noted that this achievement is a precedent in the history of the OPCW which wouldn’t have been possible without the Syrian government’s cooperation, noting that some couldn’t believe that a country in a state of war managed to dispose of its chemical weapons under very complicated security conditions, and adding that in light of this achievement, Syria must be viewed as a member country in the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Hazem Sabbagh

SANA