Syria condemns decision of Conference of States Parties in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said that, “the Syrian Arab Republic condemns, in the strongest terms, the hostile approach embodied today in the work of the twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the States Parties in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW), as western countries, especially the US , Britain and France which practiced the most heinous methods of blackmail, threats and pressure to pass a Western decision against Syria in a dangerous precedent in the history of the organization.”

The ministry added that 45 % of the countries party in the Chemical Weapons’ Convention out of 193 countries voted in favor of this illegal decision, and this reflects the fact that this decision does not represent the majority of the member states in the Organization, and it is inconsistent with its usual procedures.

The statement added that, makers of that illegitimate decision have deliberately ignored the great efforts exerted by Syria during eight years, since its voluntary access to CWC, and the unprecedented cooperation it has showed with the Organization teams.

The Ministry added that, the decision will not serve the universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention and will have a disastrous impact on the organization’s work.

“The decision is a message that comes in the context of the western direct support for the terrorist groups in Syria, and it is an encouragement to terrorists to go ahead in their crimes, including the chemical crimes, perpetrated by these groups in all incidents witnessed in Syria against civilians,” the statement said.

The ministry indicated that this decision is a step that will lead to more polarization within the organization and will seriously damage its future work, and at the same time this decision will undermine international efforts aimed at achieving the goals of the agreement and will deepen the gap between the states parties.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates concluded its statement by saying that, Syria expresses its heartfelt thanks to the large number of countries that chose to take the right position and not vote in favor of this decision.

Raghda Sawas