‘Damascus faultlessly cooperates with int’l inspectors on chemical weapons’ – Lavrov

The Syrian government faultlessly cooperates with international inspectors on the elimination of chemical weapons and Moscow hopes that this will continue in the future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

“Throughout all these weeks since the moment Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention Damascus has faultlessly cooperated with international inspectors. We hope that it will remain so in the future,” he said after talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Lavrov also said that Russia is satisfied with the unfolding process of chemical disarmament in Syria,according to Voice of Russia, AFP, Interfax.

“We are satisfied with the way the process is unfolding,” he said at a press conference.

“We don’t have any reasons to believe that the impeccable cooperation that the Syrian government has thus far demonstrated will change in any way,” the minister added.

Kerry also expressed satisfaction with the speed of the implementation of understandings on the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria.

He said he was glad that Syria  is fulfilling the provisions of the UN Security Council resolution.

Moscow and Washington are urging Syrian “opposition ‘to speak in one voice – Lavrov

Russia and the United States are urging the “opposition” in Syria to speak in one voice, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

“We support the effort to form an opposition delegation that would be representative,” he said at a Monday press conference in Bali following his talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry. “We would want the “National Coalition” to speak in one voice,” he said.

Lavrov reminded journalists that earlier a” National Coalition” representative spoke of the readiness of the “opposition” to take part in Geneva II but the following day another Syrian ‘opposition” figure announced the contrary.

Exact date of Geneva II will be set by UN – Kerry

The exact date of Geneva II conference has not been set yet, it will be later defined by the United Nations, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said.

Neither the foreign minister, nor I deal with setting dates; this will be done by the UN, he said at a Monday press conference in Bali following his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Kerry said that so far there is an understanding that the conference will take place in November.

M.D