OPCW’s Anti-Syria Decision Biased: Foreign Ministry

DAMASCUS, (ST)- Syria has regretted the decision adopted by the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on November 11 and which accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons, stressing that putting the decision to voting contradicted the organization’s rules of work and reflected the sharp disagreement among the council’s member states, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

 In a statement on Sunday regarding the pressure being put by western countries on Syria in the OPCW, the ministry said “the Syrian Arab Republic is disappointed over the way the organization works and over the growing politicization and bias practiced by the organization’s  members,” pointing out that such behavior will reflect negatively on the organization’s future and will have impacts on the countries which used the organization to achieve their own political goals.

“The Syrian Arab Republic rejects the accusations provided in the decision which was submitted by Spain and considers the decision as biased and as reflecting the view point of a certain group of countries, particularly because it didn’t allow some other countries to express their viewpoint by not considering their amendments to the decision that aimed to make it more balanced and applicable,” the ministry said.

It added that Syria highly appreciates the efforts exerted by some countries to reach an agreement within the Council and to amend the decision as to make it go in harmony with the Chemical Weapons Convention’s rules, particularly, the countries which opposed the decision and those abstained from vote.

The Syrian Arab Republic will study the decision carefully and with complete responsibility and will later issue its final stance on how to deal with this decision in accordance with the CWC provisions, the ministry concluded.

 Hamda Mustafa