French FM Calls for Immediate OPCW Access To Douma

Web Desk(April 21, 2018): French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for immediate access by inspectors from the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the Douma site, which Western countries say was the target of Syrian regime chemical weapons attacks on April 7.

In a statement, Le Drian noted delaying tactics by the Russian and Syrian sides, which he said constituted “obstruction” of the investigation to determine if chemical weapons were used.“At this time, the investigators from the OPCW have still not access to the site of the chemical attack in Douma,” he said.
“This obstruction obviously harms the quality of the investigation,” he lamented.
France’s Chief Diplomat said that it appears that the Russian and Syrian attitude “aims to disappear the proof and material elements linked to the chemical attack” and he remarked that it soon will have taken almost 15 days to get inspectors on to the site, if that happens now.Le Drian refuted Russia’s “incoherent” declarations regarding the Douma attack, noting that Moscow on the one hand denies any attack, on the other blames it on rebels groups or Western manipulation.
“Full, immediate and unfettered access must be given to the OPCW team, as we have always demanded,” Le Drian declared.