Russia hands Syria chemical weapon plans to US

Russia has handed over to the US its plans for making Syria’s chemical weapons safe, Russian media say.

Russia announced its plans for placing Syria’s stockpile under international control on Monday and Syria said it welcomed the initiative.

The proposal led US President Barack Obama to put military action against Syria on hold in favor of diplomacy.

Tense negotiations will now follow at the United Nations on the nature of any Security Council resolution.

The UN envoys of the permanent council members – the UK, US, France, China and Russia – will meet in New York later on Wednesday, diplomats say.

More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011.

Russian news agencies quoted one Russian source as saying: “We handed over to the Americans a plan to place chemical weapons in Syria under international control. We expect to discuss it in Geneva.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry are scheduled to meet in the Swiss city on Thursday to discuss the proposal.

One Russian source told the Itar-Tass news agency the meeting would be bilateral and not involve the UN.

The source added: “It appears that the meeting should start on Thursday and end on Friday, although it is not ruled out that it may last until Saturday.”

No further details of the proposal have been made public.

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