Syria, France renew push for chemical weapons accountability
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syria and France renewed their commitment to combating impunity for chemical weapons attacks and strengthening international efforts to ensure accountability, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The statement followed a meeting between Syrian and French officials and came ahead of the 13th anniversary of the chemical weapons attack on Eastern Ghouta and Moadamiyat al-Sham in the Damascus countryside on Aug. 21, 2013.
According to the ministry, the two sides said the recent visit by the French president to Syria on July 6 and 7, 2026, had opened a new chapter in relations between Damascus and Paris, based on cooperation and mutual respect.
They also stressed the role of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in uncovering information related to the former Syrian government’s chemical weapons program, identifying and verifying its remaining elements and working toward their destruction.
Syria and France also welcomed Damascus’ restoration of its full rights and privileges within the OPCW, according to the statement, and reaffirmed their support for the organization’s efforts to strengthen the global chemical weapons prohibition regime.
The two countries emphasized the importance of accountability and preventing the recurrence of chemical weapons attacks.
Marking the anniversary of the 2013 attacks, Damascus and Paris commemorated the victims and expressed solidarity with their families, while reaffirming their commitment to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that from late 2012 until the fall of the former government in December 2024, Syria witnessed more than 200 chemical weapons attacks that killed more than 1,500 people, including women and children.
In the same context, Syria said it had submitted a request to join the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, a move welcomed by France.
The ministry described the step as a demonstration of Syria’s commitment to strengthening accountability and justice and combating impunity for the use of chemical weapons.