Syria must step up the process of destroying its chemical arsenal, the global chemical weapons watchdog urged on Wednesday, one day after the first batch of chemicals were shipped out of the war-stricken country for destruction.
The Syrian regime had missed a December 31 deadline which obliged the country to remove its most poisonous chemical materials from the country.
The Syrian regime should "intensify its efforts" in a bid to finalize the mission as soon as "the conditions allow", said Michael Luhan, a spokesperson for the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
OPCW's General Director Ahmet Uzumcu has said that the transportation of the first batch of chemical materials was a late but significant step, and that the process was under way despite harsh conditions.
The deadline for the disposal process ends in June 2014 at latest, according to Nobel Peace Prize winner OPCW's decision.
The sensitive chemicals shipped out on Tuesday will be destroyed at open sea in a vessel allocated by the United States (US).
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