Brussels. May 21. INTERFAX - The European Union deeply regrets that the fifth Chemical Weapons Review Conference in The Hague ended on May 19 without any significant results, the official representative of the European Foreign Service (EMU) said.
"Chemical weapons have been used repeatedly in recent years, which makes this review conference even more important. On the eve and during the conference, the EU and its member States, along with many other countries participating in the Convention (on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - IF), worked constructively to reach consensus. Despite these tireless efforts, it was not possible to reach agreement on a final document that would strengthen the convention," reads the communique published in Brussels on Sunday.
According to the EMU representative, "it is regrettable that the Review Conference did not condemn violations of the convention by Syria, which were confirmed by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)."
Brussels believes that the absence of a final document also represents a missed opportunity to agree on the discussed guidelines for the implementation of the convention and the adaptation of the organization for its future work.
"In the current security conditions, it is more necessary than ever to comply with international law. The international community should continue to strengthen global norms against the use of chemical weapons and emphasize the importance of the Chemical weapons Convention as the most important pillar of the international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture," the document says.