Assad Vows to Respect Chemical Weapons Deal
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syria's President Bashar al Assad said in a TV interview that he will respect UN accords on chemical weapons.
It comes after a "historic" resolution to destroy his chemical stockpile was passed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council late on Friday.
All 15 members of the council voted in favour of the resolution, which was widely seen as a compromise between the US and Syria's key ally, Russia.
The vote after two weeks of intense negotiations marks a major breakthrough following two and a half years of paralysis that has gripped the council since the Syrian uprising began, Sky News reported.
For the first time, the council endorsed the roadmap for a political transition in Syria adopted by key nations in June 2012 and called for an international conference to be convened "as soon as possible" to implement it.
Mr Ban said the target date for a new peace conference in Geneva was mid-November.
