Iranian and Chinese foreign ministries on Tuesday welcomed Russia’s offer to work with Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran favors that initiative and we find this to be within the framework of putting a halt to militarism in the region,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told a news conference carried live on state television, according to Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing: "We welcome and support the Russian side's suggestion,"
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has also welcomed the Russian proposal, in what could be a diplomatic breakthrough, possibly sidelining the need for the U.S. to carry out a military strike against the Syrian regime.
Afkham said any action on chemical weapons should ensure they are not available to the rebels.
“There are concerns regarding possession of an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists,” Afkham said. “We think that any kind of initiative should actually cover terrorists.”
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