OPCW Chief Arias Expected To Address UNSC In December On Syria - Russia's Envoy To UN

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Fernando Arias is expected to deliver an address on Syria at the United Nations Security Council in December, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said in an interview with Sputnik

NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2020) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Fernando Arias is expected to deliver an address on Syria at the United Nations Security Council in December, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said in an interview with Sputnik.

Nebenzia has previously noted that Russia keeps insisting on open discussion of the OPCW reports on alleged chemical weapons use in Syria. According to the Russian diplomat, Russia has been for months trying to invite Arrias to an open UNSC session, while UNSC members "keep trying to secure him against it and suggest a closed session." Nebenzia added that Russia keeps insisting on an open session, as it wants to ask Arias questions "he still has not answered and is not likely to answer."

"We will be waiting for his visit in December.

This is the agreement that has been reached," Nebenzia said.

In October, the UNSC convened to discuss Syria's chemical dossier. Russia, presiding over the UNSC, wanted to give the floor to ex-OPCW chief Jose Bustani. However, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and the United States blocked his testimony, citing the fact he left the organization before it started dealing with the Syrian chemical dossier. The Western nations insist that Arias' address would be more appropriate.

The West keeps accusing Damascus of staging a chemical attack on the city of Douma, located in Eastern Ghouta. Russia and the Syrian government have repeatedly condemned the OPCW's biased approach to probing incidents in the Arab country, bringing into question conclusions of the OPCW Technical Secretariat.