(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) British Minister for Middle East and North Africa Tobias Ellwood said Wednesday his country completed the destruction of 190 tonnes of the Syrian chemical weapons under the supervision of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Today marked the completion of incineration at Ellesmere Port of around 190 tonnes of Syrian chemical material, intended for use by the Assad regime to manufacture nerve agent.
As previously announced, the UK agreed to destroy approximately 15 percent of the total declared Syrian chemical stockpile in commercial facilities, according to a statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The entire stockpile of one category of chemicals, known as "B precursors", along with a smaller volume of hydrochloric acid also from the Syrian chemical weapons programme, arrived in Britain three weeks ago.
The chemicals were then transferred to the High Temperature Incinerator operated by Veolia at Ellesmere Port, where they have been destroyed, under the verification procedures of the OPCW), ending the company's involvement in this task.
Ellwood said: "By destroying these chemicals, the United Kingdom has played its part in the international effort to ensure that Assad's chemical weapons can never again be used against the Syrian people." "The removal, and now the destruction in four countries, of the declared Syrian chemical stockpile show what can be achieved when the international community, including Russia, agrees to work together for the common good," he pointed out.
"The challenge remains to bring that same unity to bear in securing a political settlement to end this appalling conflict. "Such a settlement is all the more urgent as the conflict continues to claim hundreds of lives each month, despite the efforts of the moderate opposition to protect the Syrian people from both Assad and extremists.
Completing destruction of the declared stockpile does not mark the closure of the chemical weapons chapter," he went on. "Gaps and inconsistencies in Syria's declaration need to be resolved. There continue to be credible reports of attacks using industrial chemicals such as chlorine. "The OPCW Fact Finding Mission's interim conclusions stated that the available information lent credence to the view that these attacks were being systematically orchestrated. The Mission must leave no stone unturned in its investigation, and the perpetrators of such barbaric acts must be held accountable," Ellwood noted. "The work at Ellesmere Port is part of international efforts involving destruction facilities in the USA, Finland and Germany and with support from many other states and the OPCW. "The destruction by neutralisation of a smaller volume of hydrogen fluoride will take place towards the end of the year. This will complete the UK's role in destruction activities," he added.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.