Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter has welcomed the extension of the United Nations mission’s mandate to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria and offered the support of Switzerland’s specialised Spiez Laboratory.
Burkhalter on Monday discussed the current situation in Syria with Amhet Üzümcü, the director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), during a working visit to The Hague. Both sides expressed concern about the alleged use of chemical weapons and backed the decision to extend the UN inquiry to the outskirts of Damascus.
The Spiez Laboratory is one of 21 OPCW-designated laboratories worldwide. It places at the OPCW’s disposal data records to support analyses of chemical substances and regularly organises training courses for OPCW inspectors. The Swiss government laboratory would, for example, be able to conduct such analyses in Spiez if this were desired, Burkhalter confirmed.
In addition, Burkhalter renewed his appeal to the conflicting parties in Syria to renounce the use of chemical weapons and to comply with the obligations of international humanitarian law. He reminded the parties that the use of chemical weapons is forbidden under international law.
Switzerland supports OPCW’s activities, in particular the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which outlaws the possession of chemical weapons and monitors the destruction of existing stockpiles. It also contributed to negotiations and provides training for the protection against chemical weapons.
During the talks with Üzümcü, Burkhalter expressed Switzerland’s concern about the use of chemical agents, which incapacitate but do not necessarily kill. The use of such incapacitating chemical agents would undermine the objectives of the CWC.
The talks with Üzümcü are part of a working visit to the Netherlands, where Burkhalter also met his Dutch counterpart Frans Timmermans to discuss cooperation between Switzerland and the EU as well as Sang-Hyun Song, president of the International Criminal Court.