MOSCOW
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an organization to oversee the destruction of chemical weapons, will decide on the Syrian chemical stockpile and the UN Security Council should endorse the organization's report.
"Russian and American experts will present the parameters and procedures of the plan to destroy the Syrian chemical stockpile, but the final decision is to be given by OPCW. The UN Security Council is to endorse the decision of the organization rather than enforce particular terms on its own," Russian FM Lavrov said on Monday after talking with visiting Egyptian counterpart Nabil Fahmy. Lavrov noted that the plan agreed upon by the US and Russia does not involve any automatic use of military force against Syria in the case of non-compliance with the plan.
Lavrov also restated Moscow's position to hold talks with Syrian rebels, who have waged a civil war against President Bashar Al Assad's forces for more than 2 years.
"Russia does not state only the need for Syrian rebels to join the Geneva-2 process, we also work with rebels. Except the Syrian National Council, all opposition groups visited Moscow. We extend our invitation for the national council as well," said Lavrov.
Calling for pressure on the Syrian opposition, Lavrov urged that the opposition should be persuaded into taking part in the Geneva-2 conference. The Geneva-2 conference aims to bring to an end the 30 month old civil war in the Middle Eastern country, but due to the ever changing situation on the ground, the various parties have been unable to gather around the negotiating table to debate the country's future.
Egyptian FM Fahmy appealed for a political solution to the Syrian conflict, which has resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and the displacement of 2 million people, while also emphasizing the importance of the Russian-US deal regarding the Syrian chemical stockpile.
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