Syria welcomes Russian chemical arms arsenal proposal

Syria welcomes a Russian proposal to place the nation's chemical weapons under international control, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday after talks in Moscow.

Moallem, who spoke to reporters through an interpreter, said, "I state that the Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the Russian initiative, motivated by the Syrian leadership's concern for the lives of our citizens and the security of our country, and also motivated by our confidence in the wisdom of the Russian leadership, which is attempting to prevent American aggression against our people." (Reuters)