A delegation from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had a first meeting with Syria's new leaders to "reset" joint efforts.
OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias visited the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday to meet with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.
They discussed Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the technical support that The Hague-based international organization can provide to get rid of Syria’s remaining chemical weapons. Arias also was accompanied by technical experts who planned to meet with their counterparts from the new Syrian government.
“This visit marks a reset. After 11 years of obstruction by the previous authorities, the Syrian caretaker authorities have a chance to turn the page and meet Syria’s obligations under the Convention,” Arias said.
Closing the Syria file 'for good'
It was Arias' first visit to Damascus since President Bashar al-Assad's dramatic overthrow at the hands of Islamist-led rebels in early December. OPCW's Executive Council, reflecting broad concerns over Syria's chemical weapons, had an emergency meeting days after Assad's ouster.
Syria initially agreed to join OPCW and hand over its chemical weapons stockpile under pressure to avoid airstrikes by the U.S. and its allies. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama called the use of chemical weapons a red line, but allowed Syria to dismantle its stockpile under U.N. supervision.
The 193-nation OPCW found evidence that Assad's government repeatedly used chemical weapons during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war – mainly chlorine, but also sarin and a mustard agent – and that the Islamic State group used mustard gas against the town of Marea. Some of Syria’s rights in OPCW's policymaking bodies were suspended in 2021.
In his visit to Damascus with technical experts, Arias presented Syria's new leaders with a 9-point action plan to make things right. “This visit lays the ground for working together towards closing the Syrian chemical weapons file for good," he said, "and fostering long-term compliance, regional stability, and contributing to peace and international security."
