Russia offers to guard destruction sites of Syria chemical arms

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Russia is ready to safeguard the sites for destroying Syrian chemical arsenals, a senior diplomat said Thursday.

"We are ready to take part in providing security around the sites where the works will be held," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters at the Russia Arms Expo-2013 fair.

He added that other member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) could also participate in that process but noted that very much will depend on the general security situation in Syria.

Ryabkov hailed the United Nations' decision to send a new team of chemical experts back to Syria, and said the new report after the investigation must be comprehensive and free from the one-sided and hasty conclusions the previous report has contained.

The UN team headed by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom arrived in Damascus on Wednesday.

Ryabkov added that Russia also expected the inspectors from the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to arrive in Syria, with a task to verify the initial information about Syrian chemical weapons Damascus submitted to the OPCW last week.

"We expect full and steady cooperation from the Syrian authorities," the Interfax news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying.

The diplomat urged all parties in the Syrian domestic conflict to guarantee seamless work of the UN and OPCW teams.

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