05/03/2014 10:50
Syria submits revised plan for removing chemicals
Syria has submitted a revised proposal "that aims to complete the removal of all chemicals" from the country before the end of April, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Tuesday, according to CNN.
"Nearly one third of Syria's chemical weapons material has now been removed or destroyed," Sigrid Kaag, special coordinator for the OPCW-U.N. joint mission, told the OPCW Executive Council. "This is good progress and I expect further acceleration and intensification of effort."
OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu said the government "reaffirmed its commitment to implement the removal operations in a timely manner."
There had been a slow pace of removal, prompting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to warn that all options remain available to force compliance. The OPCW had been in touch with senior Syrian officials to discuss a new schedule going forward.