Germany: Ready to help in elimination of Syria's chemical weapons

The German government announced Thursday its readiness to dismantle some of the Syrian chemical weapons on its land. In a press statement, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said that German company GEKA, which specializes in the disposal of hazardous materials, would help destroy some of the waste material from Syrian chemical weapons. "Nobody who possesses the technological capabilities required can really refuse," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. "The destruction of chemical weapons could be the first decisive step towards enabling a de-escalation of the Syrian conflict." For his part, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said that Germany has longstanding experience in this domain and its decision will make huge difference. "Germany has safe technologies and longstanding experience with the destruction of chemical weapons," he said. He went on to say that that it made sense for Germany "to offer this capability to the international community and to provide a worthwhile contribution to the peace process." The Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Thursday confirmed that Germany will dispose of 370 metric tonnes of effluent to be generated by the hydrolysis of Syria's stock of mustard gas aboard the US vessel Cape Ray. The effluent will be incinerated at a specialised German government facility while adhering to the highest safety and environmental standards, said the OPCW - based at the Hague in the Netherlands - in a press release. The Syrian government agreed last September to hand over its chemical weapons and key materials that could be used to make them. The first such shipment left Syria aboard a Danish commercial vessel on Tuesday.