Bulgaria has welcomed the decision of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the resolution of the UN Security Council for the destruction of the chemical weapons in Syria.

“Putting chemical weapons in Syria under international control, their subsequent destruction, ensuring transparency and guaranteeing their non-use in future is a significant step towards eliminating this threat to the Syrian people and to the countries from the region,” the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has said in a statement.

As a member state of the OPCW, Bulgaria is ready to provide assistance for the practical implementation of the decisions taken in accordance to our abilities and in view of the specific needs of the organization, the statement says.

“We are convinced that the only way to end the crisis in Syria is the political solution with the leading role of the UN. We support the initiative for organizing a second peace conference in Geneva in the shortest possible time and we believe that this will bring us closer to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict, will prevent from taking more victims and will allow the refugees to return to their homelands.”

Bulgaria has reiterated that those who have used chemical weapons in Syria should bear the responsibility.

Resolution 2118 (2013) of the UN and the Resolution of the Executive Council of the OPCW are legally binding on the Syrian Arab Republic, as it should never again use, develop, produce, acquire , store, retain or transfer chemical weapons.