Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, in talks conducted in Damascus with Alexander Shulgin, the Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Netherlands and Russia's Permanent Representative to the OPCW, criticized Western nations for politicizing the functions of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. Mekdad argued that these Western countries are levying unsubstantiated allegations against Syria and Russia with the aim of distorting their reputations.
"Syria and Russia coordinate their actions at the OPCW and jointly resist the pressure of Western countries," emphasized the Syrian foreign minister. He expressed gratitude to the Russian diplomat for the support provided in this effort.
Mekdad accused the United States and Western nations of displaying hostility towards independent states that oppose their provocative agendas. He highlighted that "the existing cooperation between Syria and Russia enables them to effectively counter all attacks and disinformation campaigns orchestrated by their adversaries". The minister underlined that "Damascus remains steadfast in its commitment to rejecting the use of chemical weapons and abides by the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons."
In response, Shulgin commended Syria for "diligently fulfilling its obligations to the OPCW, even amidst the war instigated by terrorist groups."
On August 26, Syria's Foreign Ministry had strongly criticized statements made by French and US representatives at the OPCW, which contained baseless accusations regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces in Eastern Ghouta in 2013. Syria categorically rejected all unfounded claims related to chemical weapons incidents.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS