Biden: US ready to complete destruction of its own chemical weapons stockpile by autumn

The United States is ready to complete the destruction of its own chemical weapons stockpile by the fall of this year, President Joe Biden said Friday.

“As we work together to achieve our common goal, the US is leading by example. We are on track to complete the destruction of our chemical weapons stockpile by this fall, a major disarmament milestone that meets the highest standards of transparency and public safety,” said Biden, whose statement was released by the White House ahead of a thematic conference scheduled for May 15-19 in The Hague.

The head of state assured that the United States is committed to continuing to support the OPCW’s efforts to prevent the accumulation, production and use of chemical weapons around the world.

“We must all work together to encourage the remaining countries to join the Chemical Weapons Convention. I also call on all countries to stand up for the truth and join us in holding those responsible for violating this treaty accountable… The use of chemical weapons is unacceptable, and the world can be assured that the US will not stop fighting impunity in this area,” the US leader stressed.

Earlier in May, the director general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias, said that the remainder of the US declared chemical weapons would be destroyed within weeks.

The US is the only signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that still has an impressive arsenal of chemical warfare agents. The Russian Federation completely destroyed its chemical arsenal on 27 September 2017.

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