Syrian Foreign Minister announces Syria ready to surrender chemical weapons to UN

Hours after Kerry’s statement,Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would urge Syria to quickly put its chemical weapons under international control,then dismantle them.

Lavrov,who held talks with al-Moallem in Moscow earlier in the day,said he expected a quick positive answer from Damascus.

Al-Moallem,however,wouldn’t give any further details in his brief statement and didn’t take any questions.

The international crisis clouds gathering upon Syria could be cleared off temporarily if Assad’s government were to part with its chemical weapons,which would be handed over to the UN and dismantled under surveillance in Syrian sites. The UN is also considering taking steps to ensure Assad’s government sign the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty in order to avoid future attacks.