Syrian gov’t ready for cooperation with UN experts in chemical attack probe – Moscow

The Syrian government is ready for “maximum” cooperation with UN experts working to clarify the alleged use of chemical weapon in attacks, Voice of Russia correspondent Polina Chernitsa reports from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press conference. Syria will provide all materials related to the investigation.

“The government of Syria has reiterated its readiness to cooperate with the UN experts as broadly as possible and provide them with complete logistical support, including access to the previously collected documents that address the incident in the Khan al-Asal district,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday.

The UN experts and “the Syrian authorities are discussing the practical aspects of their cooperation in a quiet and constructive atmosphere,” the Russian diplomat said.

The agreement reached by the Syrian government and the UN allows the inspectors to question eyewitnesses, people injured in the alleged incidents and representatives of the local authorities, Lukashevich said.

The UN inspectors are expected to stay in Syria for 14 days, but their mission may be prolonged with both sides’ consent, should such a need arise.

“The mission plans to visit three sites in Syria where chemical weapons were allegedly used, including the Khan al-Asal district near Aleppo,” Lukashevich said.

The UN mission will have to receive the agreement of the Syrian government before going to the site of the alleged chemical attack, which mass media has just revealed, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“As far as we know, this region is under militant control and we assume that the mission should clear this maneuver with the Syrian government as the one hosting this mission,” Lukashevich said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is hoping that the results of the work of UN experts in Syria will eliminate speculation on the use of chemical weapons there.

“We are hoping that the results of the experts’ work will help clarify this issue and will eliminate speculation on the use of Syrian chemical weapons, which will simultaneously create a positive background for progress towards the political settlement of the crisis in Syria,” Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexander Lukashevich told a briefing on Thursday.

M.D