Welcome
Germany supports elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons
The Federal Foreign Office is giving the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) an additional two million euros with immediate effect for its work on Syria’s chemical arsenal. Foreign Minister Westerwelle has called the destruction of these weapons a priority of Germany’s foreign policy.
The Federal Foreign Office is making available an additional two million euros to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.
This sum will go towards financing the additional tasks the OPCW is to assume under the planned programme to eliminate chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria. Once the Assad regime has provided a complete inventory of the stockpiles, the OPCW will conduct on-site inspections and will secure the relevant facilities. The OPCW will have to regularly check the storage facilities and will ultimately have to monitor the destruction of the chemical weapons.
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement:
Banning and destroying chemical weapons worldwide is in Germany’s interest, as it makes the world a safer place.
Following the devastating use of chemical weapons in Syria, contributing to the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons has become one of our foreign policy priorities.
Germany has considerable experience in this field and would like to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in a targeted manner with regard to the situation in Syria.
By providing two million euros with immediate effect, we mean to help the OPCW successfully master the Herculean task of verifying the Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles and monitoring their destruction.
Pursuant to the agreement reached by Russia and the US in Geneva, the Assad regime is obliged to provide a comprehensive listing of its chemical arsenal by Saturday, 21 September. The Executive Council of the OPCW is due tomorrow to launch its consultations on the details of the planned programme to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons.