Verification completed at 21 chemical weapons sites in Syria

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Verification completed at 21 chemical weapons sites in Syria

(Xinhua) 08:11, October 29, 2013

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 28 -- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that, as of Monday, its inspectors in the OPCW-UN Joint Mission in Syria had completed verification activities at 21 of the 23 chemical weapons related sites declared by Syria.

"The two remaining sites have not been visited due to security reasons," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said at a daily news briefing here, adding "Efforts by the Joint Mission to ensure the conditions necessary for safe access to those sites will continue. "

Syria submitted a formal declaration of its chemical weapons program three days ahead of the Oct. 27 deadline, together with a general plan of destruction, for consideration by the OPCW Executive Council, Nesirky said.

Separately, Sigrid Kaag, the special coordinator for the OPCW- UN Joint Mission, will be traveling to The Hague from Cyprus to brief the OPCW's Executive Council later this week. Next week she will brief the Security Council before returning to the region, said Nesirky.

Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint special representative for Syria, arrived in Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Monday to push for an international conference on Syria. "He expects to meet with ( Syrian) President Bashar al-Assad and other government officials, members of the opposition and representatives of non-governmental organizations," Nesirky said.

On Sept. 27, the OPCW Executive Council established special procedures for the expeditious destruction of the chemical weapons program and stringent verification, including a timetable.

Later that day, the UN Security Council unanimous adopted a resolution, calling for the speedy implementation of procedures drawn up by the OPCW.

（Editor：LiangJun、Yao Chun）