Pakistan on Thursday reaffirmed its firm opposition to the use of chemical weapons “by anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances” while expressing strong support for Syria’s sovereignty and a Syrian-led political process during a United Nations Security Council briefing on the Middle East.
Speaking at the Council, Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, said Islamabad attaches great importance to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Moreover, Pakistan sees the CWC as a cornerstone of the global disarmament regime and supports its universal, non-discriminatory and full implementation.
He also underlined Pakistan’s continued commitment to the effectiveness and impartiality of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Ambassador Jadoon welcomed recent diplomatic engagement on Syria including the Security Council’s visit to Damascus, and said these developments created an opportunity to advance stability, recovery and reconciliation in the country.
He stressed that Pakistan supports Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and reiterated that any political process must be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led.
He warned that Syria’s security situation remains under strain due to Israel’s continued occupation of parts of Syrian territory and repeated military strikes, which he said have also disrupted the technical work of the OPCW.
He added that terrorism and the presence of foreign terrorist fighters continue to pose serious challenges to both stability and verification efforts.
Pakistan welcomed the Syrian authorities’ commitment to fully implement the CWC, secure suspected chemical weapons sites and address outstanding issues.
The envoy appreciated Syria’s cooperation with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and stressed that it must be allowed to conduct independent and uninterrupted verification work.
He described the re-establishment of a continuous OPCW presence in Syria as an important step forward.
Ambassador Jadoon also welcomed the reinstatement of Syria’s rights and privileges under the CWC and expressed hope that ongoing engagement would help resolve remaining issues and close the chemical weapons file at the earliest.
He said Pakistan remains committed to peace, disarmament and international law.
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