Ban, Kaag Welcome Shipment of CWs Out of Syria

(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator of the UN-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), affirmed on Wednesday that a shipment of Syria's stockpile of sulphur mustard, commonly known as "mustard gas," has left the country through Latakia port. UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky told the daily press briefing that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Kaag welcomed today's development as an "important step" in the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons programme set to be completed by the end of June. "The Joint Mission looks forward to the Syrian Arab Republic continuing its efforts to complete the removal of the remaining chemical materials in a safe, secure and timely manner, through systematic, predictable and high-volume movements," Kaag said in a statement. She encouraged the Syrian authorities to "maintain momentum" in implementing relevant UN Security Council Resolution 2118 of last September, reported the Kuwaiti news agency KUN