The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, visited today
the Danish frigate “HDMS Esbern Share” operating within the framework of the
UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) joint mission, at
the invitation of the Danish Embassy to Cyprus.
During his visit, Mr Kasoulides was briefed on the mission,
capabilities and operational activity of the frigate, and was then given a tour
of the personnel of the ship.
Speaking to English-speaking journalists, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs stated the following:
“I have visited the frigate called “Esbern Share” which is here on
behalf of the Danish Navy to escort, along with the Norwegian, British, Russian
and Chinese ships, the merchant specially designed ship that transfers the
chemical material that is used when composed to form chemical weapons out of
Syria and towards Italy, to a port south of Calabria.
The whole operation has been very carefully designed, by the experts
who are already on the ships. On this ship there are specialists from Denmark
and Finland. The whole operation has been planned and designed in cooperation
with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health
Organisation.
Chemical weapons become weapons once two or more substances are
joined together. If they are separated they cease to be chemical weapons. What
they are transferring are not chemical weapons but substances that have already
been dismantled. Once they go to Calabria certain substances will be bought by
Italian companies to be used for industrial purposes. Others will go on an
American ship where they will go through the process of hydrolysis. Once the
hydrolysis is over there are many companies bidding to buy these substances, all
the products of this hydrolysis, so that they are also used for industrial
purposes. The decision about who will take them will determine the next
destination of the American ship.”
Asked to comment on speculation about a possible disposal of the
substances somewhere near Crete, Mr Kasoulides clarified that there would be no
disposal and added: “Nothing will be thrown into the sea. Everything will be
used, in a dual-purpose, for industrial and other purposes.”
Invited to say what are the challenges that the ship faces, the
Foreign Minister noted: “The first challenge that they face is in Latakia. The
question of security of the merchant ship and of the personnel that are working
on land in order to make sure that what they are transferring is not weapons.
Secondly, it is a fact that the regime of Mr Assad delays. They cannot fix
schedule times, so the ship is here and waits at any moment to go to Latakia,
when the security situation permits it. That is why unfortunately up to now, and
after two deadlines have expired, only five percent of the material has been
taken out of Syria.”
Asked if the deadline of the 31st of March will be met, Mr
Kasoulides said: “We hope, but you know that this is an expensive operation and
the countries that have volunteered to participate cannot be paying for an
eternity. Besides, this is the agreement between the Syrian authorities and the
international community, the Security Council”.
Invited to say whether it is ironic that the international community
needs Assad’s forces to actually be in control of the high-way and the port in
order to deliver the chemical weapons, the Minister replied: “No, I don’t see
this as irony since they are the ones who hold the chemical weapons. So, they
are the ones who have agreed with the Security Council to deliver them and they
have to deliver them”.
Asked whether he has any knowledge of Russia’s role in the delivery
of the chemical weapons, he said: “I hope that Russia, which was instrumental in
the first agreement, will be also instrumental in making sure that the deadline
of June is met”.
Asked about the incident last Saturday and specifically, to say
whether the crew of the seismic vessel felt threatened by the Turkish ship crew,
Mr Kasoulides said: “They haven’t felt threatened. They were just asked to go
and they did, southwards.”
He then added: “Let me say this. The UN Secretary-General and the US
Secretary of State spoke about being very close to the joint declaration. And
perhaps we are. As you know we were close on several occasions and for a few
words, the completion was not successful. But how is this expected to be the
case in an environment like this, with the Turks threatening and creating
problems like this one? How can this be ignored in our effort to concluding
something and beginning negotiations.”
Lastly, invited to say whether incidents like the aforesaid have
happened before and if this was a regular occurrence, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs replied: “A few months ago they were harassing the ships that were
immersing the cables for the telecommunications authority.”
