OPCW to make decision on Syrian authorities’ chemical weapons liquidation plan

The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Friday will take a decision on the Syrian authorities’ plan of elimination the country’s chemical weapons’ stockpiles. Damascus officials had previously submitted a detailed plan specifying where and when the chemical weapons’ stockpiles the total volume of which is estimated at 1,000 tonnes, would be destroyed. The elimination of the country’s chemical weapons’ stockpiles is planned to be completed by the middle of next year. OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu on November 5 said that the plan for the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons’ stockpiles outside the country, presented by Syria, “is the most feasible option” in an armed conflict conditions. He said that Syria had met the deadlines — October 27 and November 1, respectively, for the completion of facilities’ inspections and disabling of all the declared chemical weapons production equipment. Inspectors of the OPCW - United Nations mission have inspected 21 of 23 facilities declared by Syria. Two facilities were too dangerous to visit, but the equipment for the production of chemical weapons had been removed from there. The inspectors later could watch one of them using special cameras.