By Jaime Ortega.
The U.S. secretary of state , John Kerry , said the plan to destroy the Syrian chemical arsenal should be ” binding” and involve “consequences” for if Syria does not comply.
Tuesday, the Secretary of State said in a public video conference over the Internet with his Russian counterpart , Sergei Lavrov , who will be on Thursday in Geneva to discuss the details of a proposal to finally end all chemical weapons of Bashar Assad ‘s regime.
Kerry stressed that the beginning of a process has to be “verifiable , transparent and full consequences.”
He said it is preferable to a military intervention although he expressed that the military option is still on the table if Syria doesn’t met the disarmament commitments as its a problem that affects the national security of the United States.
At the same time he added that the Security Council resolution arises from negotiations between Washington and Moscow, which also involves the United Kingdom and France that will bind with the U.S. “if someone undermines the rules of the game ” ,I believe they have ” the confidence that they will deliver.”
Eight countries support the attack
The process to finalize the plan of disarmament is carried out in a ” fast mode.” and, ” We need to have unlimited access to all facilities ( … ) and it should be transparent , implementable and verifiable,” Kerry demanded.
The chief U.S. diplomat also reacted to the statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem , that Damascus will reveal the location of chemical weapons facility and sign the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of, 1993.
“I hope he and Bashar Asad seize the opportunity presented to them for peace and fulfill their promises regarding the Chemical Weapons Convention ,” said Kerry.
Furthermore, he added that “they have to go further ( … ) , to work with Russia to present the formula by which these weapons may be transferred to international control and finally destroyed.”
Similarly, he asked that the Damascus regime commits to revitalize the Geneva negotiations process “that the Syrians can choose a future of peace that protects the rights of all in Syria.”
On the other hand , the White House has confirmed that eight other countries , including Kuwait , have signed a joint statement condemning Syria in calling for a strong international response. In total there are now 33 countries that have signed the document.
“We welcome new countries that expressed their support to this declaration and our ongoing efforts to lead the Assad regime responsibility to enforce the international norm against the use of chemical weapons, “he made public the White House through a statement.
