In a statement this morning to the OPCW Executive Council, Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü announced that all 1300 metric tonnes of chemicals removed from the Syrian Arab Republic by the international maritime operation have been delivered to destruction facilities outside the country. Destruction activities are now underway in all locations.
The Director-General reported that since the successful trans-loading of 600 metric tonnes of chemicals onto the U.S. vessel MV Cape Ray in the port of Gioia Tauro, Italy on 2 July, the remaining chemicals have been delivered to commercial land-based facilities in Finland, the United Kingdom and United States where they are now in the process of being destroyed. As of 21 July, the amount of all Syrian chemicals destroyed stood at 31.8% of the total.
The Director-General once again commended all the States Parties and the European Union for contributing funding and material resources for the mission to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons programme.
In its meeting today, the Executive Council adopted a decision regarding the destruction and verification of 12 former chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) in Syria. As per this decision, seven hangers will be razed to the ground and five underground structures will be sealed permanently to make them inaccessible. The CWPF destruction activities are scheduled to begin within 60 days.
For more information and downloadable audiovisual materials on the Syria mission, visit the special Syria page on our Internet website at: http://www.opcw.org/special-
