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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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14Apr14
65 pct of Syria's chemical weapons removed: statement
About 65 percent of Syria's chemical weapons have been removed from Syria so far, the Syria- based joint mission of the UN and the organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement on Monday.
The statement said the 13th consignment of chemicals was delivered to Syria's Latakia port and was shipped out on cargo ships on Monday, raising the overall total of removals to 65 percent.
The director-general of the OPCW, Ahmet Uzumcu, described these movements as "necessary and encouraging," according to the statement.
Uzumcu said Syria had reaffirmed its commitment to meeting its obligations, adding that "both the frequency and volumes of deliveries have to increase significantly to restore alignment of actual movements against the projected time frame."
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Sept. 27, 2013, to rid war-torn Syria of its chemical weapons.
Under the resolution, the OPCW was mandated to oversee the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons materials.
The UN-OPCW Joint Mission, which was formally established on Oct. 16, aims to timely remove Syria's chemical arsenals in the safest and most secure manner possible.
Western powers have recently accused Damascus of not living up to its pledges to quickly remove the chemical weapons, but the Syrian government, while stressing commitment to its pledges to remove its chemical arsenal, accused Western-backed rebels of hindering the transportation of chemical weapons by attacking bases where the materials are stored.
[Source: Xinhua, Damascus, 14Apr14]
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