India welcomes agreement on eliminating Syrian chem weapons

India today welcomed the framework agreement between Russia and the US on time-bound safeguarding and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles and hoped that this may reinvigorate the peace efforts towards a political solution to Syrian conflict.

"India welcomes the framework agreement reached between Russia and the US on the time-bound safeguarding and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. As an important step in the process, India also welcomes the recent steps taken by Syria to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention," the Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Noting that Syrian accession was in alignment with India's consistent stance of supporting the complete destruction and elimination of chemical weapons worldwide, he said, "We also see these developments as the reinvigoration of the peace efforts towards a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

"We are hopeful that this will lead to the early convening of the proposed 'International Conference on Syria' (Geneva-II), which will bring all parties to the conflict to the negotiating table."

He was responding to a query on the agreement reached between the Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry on Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. Under the framework accord, Syria's chemical weapons will be secured and eliminated.

India has consistently called upon all sides to the Syrian conflict to abjure violence so that conditions can be created for an inclusive political dialogue leading to a comprehensive political solution, taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, he said.

"Any external military intervention in Syria's affairs should be excluded," he added.