- US President Joe Biden announced to destroy its last remaining chemical weapons by the fall of 2023.
- “The US will continue to stand with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to prevent the stockpiling, production, and use of chemical weapons around the world.
- Signatories to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which took effect in 1997, committed to disposing of all chemical munition stockpiles. Legally, the US is required to do so by the end of this year.
- Moscow and Beijing have repeatedly urged Washington to speed up the disposal process.
Ahead of the scheduled International Arms Control Conference in The Hague next week, US President Joe Biden announced to destroy its last remaining chemical weapons by the fall of 2023.
“We are on track to complete the destruction of our chemical weapons stockpile by this fall – a disarmament milestone that upholds the highest standards of transparency and public safety,” Biden said in a statement posted on the White House website. Russia and China released a joint statement last month “insisting that the US, as the only CWC member state that has not completed the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles.
In a statement issued by the White House, it said that next week, the United States and fellow state parties will gather for the fifth review conference of the chemical weapons convention to review our progress and determine what more we must do to rid the world of chemical weapons.
The US government is ready to complete the process of destroying its chemical weapons by this fall, US President Biden said in his statement ahead of the Fifth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention scheduled for May 15-19 in The Hague.
“The US will continue to stand with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to prevent the stockpiling, production, and use of chemical weapons around the world. We should all work together to encourage the remaining nations to join the chemical weapons convention. The use of chemical weapons is never acceptable, and the world can be assured that the United States will not rest in this fight against impunity,” it added.
Signatories to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which took effect in 1997, committed to disposing of all chemical munition stockpiles. Legally, the US is required to do so by the end of this year. The US pledged to destroy its last remaining chemical weapons stored in depots in Colorado and Kentucky by September 30, 2023.
Moscow and Beijing have repeatedly urged Washington to speed up the disposal process.
“I urge every nation to stand for the truth and join us in promoting accountability for violations of this treaty, including Syria’s use of sarin and chlorine and Russia’s use of Novichok nerve agents. The use of chemical weapons is never acceptable, and the world can be assured that the United States will not rest in this fight against impunity,” he added.
The Russian side categorically denies the allegations of using Novichok. Moscow has also repeatedly stated that conclusions about Damascus’ alleged use of chemical weapons do not stand up to scrutiny.
(With inputs from agencies)
