Russia, West Spar Over Vote To Punish Syria Over Weapons

Russia sparred with its allies over a vote that could strip Syria of voting rights in the international chemical weapons watchdog, with Moscow accusing West of trying to ‘demonise Damascus’

UNITED NATIONS

Russia sparred with the United States and its allies over a vote later this month that could strip Syria of voting rights in the international chemical weapons watchdog, with Moscow accusing the West of trying to “demonise Damascus” and the US demanding a strong message to Syria’s government that using chemical weapons has consequences.

The exchanges came at the monthly UN Security Council meeting on Syria’s chemical weapons during which UN disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu said Damascus’ declaration of its chemical stockpiles and chemical weapons production sites nearly eight years ago remains incomplete, with 19 issues outstanding.

Among those is a chemical weapons production facility that Syria’s government declared as never used for such production but where experts from the organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found indications that nerve agent was produced or weaponised.

Nakamitsu also reported that site visits last September by OPCW experts found some “unexpected” chemicals in samples.