Russia: Syria Chemical Shipments Will Be Completed by Month’s End

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov sought to downplay ongoing US complaints about the “delay” on Syria’s shipments of chemical precursors from their dismantled chemical weapons program, saying that the plan is to move “large amounts of chemical substances soon.”

Gatilov suggested that the process would be completed by March 1, in keeping with the internal deadlines set by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Shipments are to go through Latakia port, but with the route going through rebel-held territory a lot of the logistics are difficult, which is why the OPCW said UN demands to have everything done by December were unlikely to be met.

Gatilov also said that the Syrian government had agreed to attend the continuation of the Geneva II peace talks next week, and said he expects Syria to confirm as much in the days to come.