16/11/2013 10:34
Chemical arms watchdog adopts Syria stockpile plan
The global chemical weapons watchdog says it has now adopted a detailed plan for the destruction of Syria's stockpile by mid-2014, the BBC reported.
Friday had been the deadline for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to agree a final destruction timetable.
The deadline was set under a US-Russia brokered plan backed by the UN.
The plan was adopted despite an earlier setback, when Albania rejected a request to host the destruction.
Where the stockpile will be transported to be destroyed remains unclear.
A statement on the OPCW website said that under the plan "Syrian chemical weapons will be transported for destruction outside its territory to ensure their destruction in the 'safest and soonest manner', and no later than June 30th 2014."
The "most critical" chemicals will be removed by 31 December and all other declared chemical substances by 5 February, except for isopropanol - one of two key ingredients for the nerve agent, sarin.
The statement read: "Syrian declared chemical weapons facilities will undergo sequenced destruction from 15 December to 15 March, according to a risk-based criterion."
Welcoming the adoption of the plan, OPCW director general Ahmet Umzucu said: "The plan provides a clear roadmap. It sets ambitious milestones to be met by the government of Syria.
"This next phase will be the most challenging and its timely execution will require the existence of a secure environment for the verification and transport of chemical weapons."