Catherine Ashton welcomes proposal to place Syria's chemical weapons under international control

Brussels, 10 September 2013

130910/01

STATEMENT

by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the proposal to

place Syria's chemical weapons under international control

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and

Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

"I welcome the proposal for the Syrian regime to hand over its chemical weapons and to place

them under international control. This now needs to be fully worked up as quickly as possible

including the details of its implications in terms of safe storage, verification and destruction.

The EU stands ready to fully support any proposal and its implementation.

The EU is working closely with our international partners on this issue and I welcome the

statement by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the intention of France to introduce a

Resolution in the UN Security Council to give effect to the proposal.

The EU calls on Syria to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention and to ratify the

Biological Weapons Convention as a matter of urgency. We look to the Syrian authorities to

take full responsibility for ensuring that their chemical weapons are stored securely pending

independently verified destruction and are not permitted to fall into the hands of any other

State or non-state actor.

I hope that these developments will facilitate the resumption of efforts towards a political

solution to the Syrian conflict. I urge all partners in the international community to seize this

FOR FURTHER DETAILS:

Michael Mann +32 498 999 780 - +32 2 584 9780- [email protected] @EUHighRepSpox

Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 - +32 2 298 65 70 - [email protected] @AshtonSpox_Maja

Sebastien Brabant +32 460 75 09 98 - [email protected]

Nabila Massrali +32 460 75 41 75 – [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter @eu_eeas

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www.eeas.europa.eu

EN

momentum to reinvigorate the process leading to the swift holding of a peace conference on

Syria as proposed in the US-Russia initiative."

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بيان الممثلة العليا كاثرين أشتون يرحب بمقترح وضع الأسلحة الكيميائية السورية تحت الرقابة الدولية، ويدعو سورية إلى الانضمام إلى اتفاقية الأسلحة الكيميائية.