India offers $1m in aid, experts to destroy Syria's chemical weapons

NEW DELHI: India has decided to give $1 million to the trust of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at The Hague for destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and related facilities, a move that will strengthen its case for inclusion in Geneva-II talks next month.

Apart from the financial assistance, India has offered the services of its experts to help in the destruction of Damascus' chemical weapons arsenal and related facilities, a ministry of external affairs statement said.

Welcoming the progress on the time-bound safeguarding and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and its accession to the chemical weapons convention, the ministry said, "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 worldwide".

India has already expressed interest to be included in next month's Geneva-II, an international conference which seeks to bring together all warring parties, domestic and international, to stabilize Syria.

The MEA statement also said, "India would also offer the services of its experts to be used by the OPCW in the destruction verification activity as well as training slots for the personnel participating in the UN/OPCW mission for the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.

"India is an original state party to the chemical weapons convention and as a possessor state it has completed the destruction of its chemical weapons in accordance with the convention," the ministry added.