Middle Orient News

Russian and US chemical weapons experts and top diplomats will attend a meeting on the Syrian crisis later today that will be held in Switzerland, Russia’s foreign minister said Thursday.

Turkey and Iraq have reached an agreement to reinstate bilateral ties, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi stated in a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Cemil Çiçek. 

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday he was doubtful that President Bashar al-Assad would fulfil his pledge to put Syria’s chemical weapons under international control, and said he was buying time for new “massacres”.

France said Wednesday it would remain poised to launch military action against Syria over its use of chemical weapons despite ongoing attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

It is very important for Bulgaria and Europe to have a common position on Syria,” said Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, speaking at the opening of the XI International Conference Security in Southeast Europe – In Search Of Smart Solutions held in the Bulgarian capital city Sofia.

President Barack Obama pledged on Tuesday to explore a diplomatic plan from Russia to take away Syria’s chemical weapons, but voiced skepticism about it and urged Americans to support his threat to use military force if needed.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday said “a strong response” was needed to the use of chemical weapons and urged Damascus “without delay” to show readiness to destroy them. Delivering his annual “state of the union” speech before the European Parliament, Barroso said “the use of chemical

Russia’s initiative to place Syrian chemical weapon stockpiles under international control will only be feasible if the United States and its allies pledge not to use force, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

United States President Barack Obama is going to Congress on Tuesday with fresh hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough that would allow Syria’s government to avert U.S. missile strikes if it surrenders its chemical weapons arsenal.

Iran “favourably welcomes” a Russian plan to head off threatened US strikes on Syria by securing a deal to destroy the regime’s chemical weapons, the foreign ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday. Marzieh Afgham told a media conference in Tehran that the proposal should include the destruction of chemical