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Syria welcomes Russian plan to avoid US strikes
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Syrian has welcomed Russia’s proposal that Damascus hand over control of its chemical weapons arsenal to international supervision to avoid US military action.
Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said yesterday: “I carefully listened to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement about it. In connection with this, I note that Syria welcomes the Russian initiative based on the Syrian leadership’s concern about the lives of our nationals and the security of our country. We also hail the wisdom of the Russian leadership which is trying to prevent a US aggression against our people.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron also welcomed the Russian proposal.
“If that were to be the case it would be hugely welcome,” Cameron said. “If Syria were to put its chemical weapons beyond use, under international supervision, clearly that would be a big step forward and should be encouraged.”
Earlier yesterday, Lavrov called on the Syrian government to hand over control of its chemical weapons arsenal to international supervision as a way of staving off the threat of military action.
The proposal came after talks between Lavrov and Muallem in Moscow, with the top Russian diplomat calling on Syria to “place the chemical weapons under international control and then have them destroyed.”
Lavrov said such a plan would help “avoid military strikes” that are being considered by the United States and its allies.
Lavrov said he had already made the proposal to Muallem and hoped for a “quick and positive answer” from Syria.
“We do not know if Syria agrees to this, but if placing the chemical weapons under international control helps avoid military strikes, then we will immediately get to work on this,” Lavrov said.
As well as handing over the weapons and having them destroyed, Syria should also become a full member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, he said.
His comments came after US Secretary of State John Kerry said President Bashar Assad could turn over his chemical weapons to the international community to have a chance of avoiding military action.
Kerry had been asked by a reporter in London whether there was anything Assad’s government could do or offer to stop a military strike.
Kerry answered: “Sure, he could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week — turn it over, all of it without delay and allow the full and total accounting, but he isn’t about to do it and it can’t be done.”
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