Iran's UN envoy warns against politicizing Syria's chemical weapons issue

Iran said politicizing Syria's chemical weapons issue would jeopardize the authority of the world's chemical weapons watchdog and hinder constructive dialogue with Syria on the issue, Iranian Press TV reported Saturday.

Tehran [Iran], May 1 (ANI/Xinhua): Iran said politicizing Syria's chemical weapons issue would jeopardize the authority of the world's chemical weapons watchdog and hinder constructive dialogue with Syria on the issue, Iranian Press TV reported Saturday. Iran's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Zahra Ershadi made the remarks at a UN Security Council session on the situation of chemical weapons in Syria on Friday, according to Press TV.

Iran strongly opposes the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, and under any circumstances, she said. "We reiterate our call for the full, effective, non-political, and non-discriminatory implementation of the CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention)," Ershadi was quoted as saying.

The Iranian UN envoy also called for preserving the authority of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the intergovernmental implementing body for the CWC. "We welcome Syria's submission of its 100th monthly report to the OPCW on March 16, regarding activities on its territory related to the destruction of its chemical weapons and their production facilities," she said.

"It is disappointing that certain states parties have politicized the Syrian chemical weapons issue, preventing the OPCW from confirming Syria's compliance with its obligations, which could have resulted in constructive dialogue and cooperation with Syria," Ershadi noted. (ANI/Xinhua)

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