Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa praised the positive developments regarding Syria's chemical weapons as the United States and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, agreed on a resolution.
"The recent breakthrough on the issue of chemical weapons in Syria is clear evidence that diplomacy works," said the minister in his speech during the General Debate of the 68th Session of UN General Assembly in New York on Sept 27, with a copy of the speech being received by Antara here on Saturday.
He also emphasized that further diplomatic momentum must continue as the UN Security Council forcefully makes the case for a peaceful Syrian settlement.
Marty added that three key points remain compelling in the Syrian issue, including halting the violence, assisting in humanitarian relief, and beginning an inclusive political process reflecting the wishes of the Syrian people.
The UN Security Council unanimously voted last Friday (Sept 27) to adopt a resolution aimed at ridding war-torn Syria of chemical weapons.
The vote came after the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an international chemical watchdog, agreed on a plan to destroy Syria`s stockpile by mid-2014.
"The Security Council decides that the Syrian Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other States or non-State actors," the resolution said.
The measure was finalized on Thursday night by the five permanent members of the 15-member UN body -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
A UN fact-finding group has confirmed the use of chemical weapons outside the Syrian capital of Damascus on Aug. 21. But inspectors did not say which side in the conflict was responsible for their use. (*/DWA)
