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Syria: Chemical Weapons

Asked by Alicia KearnsConservativeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 17 December 2024UIN 19062

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK is participating in international action to (a) identify and (b) destroy chemical weapon (i) production sites and (ii) depots in Syria.

Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer

The brutal history of chemical weapons use in Syria must never be repeated. We have been closely monitoring developments as they unfold and engaging with partners in the region and with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). We welcome Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's (HTS) statement that it will protect chemical weapons sites and will not use chemical weapons under any circumstances. Syria must now take the next step, which is to comply with the obligations set out under UN Security Council Resolution 2118 and the Chemical Weapons Convention and engage with the OPCW to declare fully its chemical weapons programme so that it can finally, and verifiably, be completely destroyed.

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