US-Russia deal on Syria gets backing from P5

A US-Russia deal to bring Syria's chemical weapons under international control today got the crucial backing from China, even as President Barack Obama warned that there would be "consequences" if the Assad regime does not comply with it in an expeditious and verifiable manner.
Veto-wielding China's backing could bring the five permanent members of UN Security Council on board to implement the pact and eliminate Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles by mid-2014.
"The Chinese side welcomes the framework agreement between the US and Russia. This agreement will enable tensions in Syria to be eased," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after meeting his visiting French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

Fabius, who arrived in Beijing today, has called the agreement "a significant step forward" and said "important decisions need to be taken on Syria".
It was China's first official reaction to the deal reached in Geneva after three days of intensive talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
In Washington, Obama welcomed the deal saying, "While we have made important progress, much more work remains to be done."

"The US will continue working with Russia, the UK, France, the UN and others to ensure that this process is verifiable, and that there are consequences should the Assad regime not comply with the framework agreed today," Obama said in a statement yesterday," he said.

However, he warned that there would be "consequences" if the Assad regime does not comply with the agreement in a transparent, expeditious and verifiable manner.
"And, if diplomacy fails, the US remains prepared to act," he said.
The US accuses Syria of carrying out chemical weapons against it's own people that killed over 1,400 people.
Obama had earlier decided to take military action against the embattled regime, but after Russia's proposal, he put on hold the planned military intervention.
Britain also welcomed the US-Russia agreement on Syria's chemical weapons, describing it a "significant step forward".
Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke to Kerry after a framework was outlined.