MOSCOW. Nov 5 (Interfax) - Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Sigrid Kaag, coordinator of the joint chemical weapons mission in Syria, run by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN, said during consultations on Friday that the main, second phase is beginning in the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.
During the second phase, "consolidation is envisioned in the coastal region and the main stock of precursors of chemical weapons will be removed from Syria for their subsequent elimination in a third country that agrees to their elimination under the control of the OPCW and Syrian officials," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website.
The fulfillment this task will require the world community's active participation and effective assistance in line with the UN Security Council's Resolution 2118, the statement says.
During the consultations the parties welcomed the OPCW-declared successful completion of the first phase in the chemical demilitarization of Syria, when the main equipment for making chemical weapons, mixing its components and filling the ammunition was destroyed. A high level of interaction between the Syrian authorities and the joint mission was noted, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.