India offer to destroy Syria chemical weapons

New Delhi says it is interested in contributing $1 million to fund for destruction of arsenal.

UN chemical inspectors returning to Syria
Besides funds, India is offering specialists to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal [Al Jazeera]

India has offered to help destroy Syrian chemical weapons arsenal and related facilities.

The country’s ministry of external affairs on Tuesday said it was also interested in contributing $1 million to the Trust Fund for use in the destruction of the chemical weapons and other related equipment by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Russia has backed India’s inclination to take part in an international conference called Geneva-II which aims to bring to the table all the conflicting parties, domestic and international, to stabilise Syria, media reports said.

India is also offering the services of its specialists in the destruction verification activity as well as training for personnel participating in the mission, reports quoting the ministry said.

India is an original state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and as a possessor state it has fully completed the destruction of its chemical weapons in accordance with the Convention, the ministry said.

New Delhi has welcomed the progress on the time-bound safeguarding and destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and its accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“India’s assistance to the OPCW is a concrete demonstration of India’s consistent position of support for the complete destruction and elimination of chemical weapons world-wide” reports said, quoting the external affairs ministry.

Source: Al Jazeera