Britain’s FM William Hague, left, and US Secretary of State John Kerry, right, vote to approve a resolution that will require Syria to give up its chemical weapons during a meeting on Friday at UN headquarters in New York.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that the use of chemical weapons anywhere œconstitutes a threat to international peace and security.”
“Today, the UN Security Council has demonstrated that diplomacy can be so powerful, it can diffuse the worst weapons of war,” Kerry said on Friday night.
He made the remarks after all 15 members of the UN Security Council voted to approve a resolution that compels Syria to give up its chemical weapons.
Kerry also said that the destruction of Syria’s chemical arms stockpile will begin in November and be completed by the middle of 2014.
According to the resolution, Syria should give up its chemical stockpile and it should allow unfettered access to international chemical-weapons experts.
If the Syrian government fails to comply, the member states will seek a second resolution approving any military action or other sanctions.
“Syria cannot select or reject the inspectors,” Kerry said. “Syria must give those inspectors unfettered access to any and all sites and any and all people.”
A UN team will be dispatched to Syria on Tuesday.
“Today’s resolution will ensure the elimination of the Syria chemical weapons program happens as soon as possible and with the utmost transparency,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said after the vote.
UN resolution states that Syria œshall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other states or non-state actors.”
Russia proposed putting Syria™s chemical weapons under international control after the US accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in an attack on August 21. Damascus, however, denied the allegation.
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Copyright: Press TV