RUSSIA-MINISTRY-SYRIA-WEAPON

Moscow, July 24 (Interfax) – Moscow hopes that Syria, which joined the Geneva Protocol banning the use of chemical weapons back in 1968, will honor its obligations.

“Russia experts the Syrian authorities to continue to strictly abide by its international commitments,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary posted on its website on Tuesday.

In 1968, Syria ratified the 1925 Geneva Protocol banning the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases in war, the statement said.

“Moscow took note of a statement by the Syrian Foreign Ministry representative at a July 23 press conference, regarding possible use by the country’s authorities of chemical weapons in the event of a foreign aggression,” the statement said.

Syria does not rule out a possibility of using chemical weapon in case of a foreign aggression, the Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi said earlier.

Makdisi’s statement is the first official confirmation that Syria has a chemical weapon, British newspaper The Guardian said. .

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that Makdisi’s statements about possible use of chemical weapons were taken out of the context by various media outlets.

[UA EUROPE EEU EMRG DIP SY RU]

19:15:36 EET-2