The organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons (OPCW) expressed its willingness to examine samples taken by Russian experts after the use of prohibited substances in the Syrian city of Aleppo. On Tuesday, November 22, reported in a statement on the organization’s website.
“These samples and other materials may be used in the ongoing work of the OPCW mission to establish facts [of chemical weapons]”, — stated in the message.
As specified in the document, taking into account the difficult situation in Aleppo, the organization’s representatives are ready to obtain samples from the Russian side in Damascus or the Hague.
On 21 November, the Russian defense Ministry confirmed the alleged use of chemical weapons by opposition forces in the South-West of Aleppo. Insights on the use of ammunition chlorine and white phosphorus have been made on the basis of the Express-identification of the nine samples taken in the quarter, “1070”.
The official representative of Department major General Igor Konashenkov accused the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons, the reluctance to deploy its experts. “However, this does not prevent individual members of the OPCW remotely to label and not recognize the facts of use of chemical weapons in Aleppo against the civilian population”, — said the General.
Such accusations had been repeatedly put forward against the government of Bashar al-Assad. In September 2013, Syria pledged to destroy all chemical weapons Arsenal by signing the Convention on prohibition. The last part of the Arsenal was taken out of the country on 23 June 2014.