Kerry Praises Syria’s Compliance

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/world/middleeast/kerry-praises-syrias-compliance.html

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BALI, Indonesia — Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the United States and Russia were “very pleased” with the progress made so far in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stocks.

Mr. Kerry, speaking at a news conference with Foreign Minister  Sergey V. Lavrov, said President Bashar al-Assad’s government deserved credit for its compliance with the United Nations Security Council resolution calling for the elimination of the weapons. Mr. Kerry said Mr. Assad was not off the hook, but needs to continue to comply with United Nations demands.

He said it was “extremely significant” that the first weapons were destroyed Sunday, just a few weeks after the resolution passed. “It is a good beginning, and we should welcome a good beginning,” Mr. Kerry said.

Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lavrov met Monday on the sidelines of an economic summit on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Their meeting represented the first high-level talks between the two nations since they sealed a deal to secure and destroy Syria’s chemical weapons.

International disarmament inspectors began work Sunday to destroy Syria’s estimated 1,000-ton stockpile of chemical weapons. They are working against a Nov. 1 deadline set by the United Nations last month to destroy the Assad government’s capability to produce the weapons.

Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lavrov also discussed Iran and its nuclear program. Officials from the five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom — and Germany will meet with representatives from Iran in Geneva on Oct. 15 to hold renewed nuclear talks.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and says it is enriching uranium to levels needed for medical isotopes and reactor fuel.

Western powers, including the United States, fear Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb and have imposed crippling economic sanctions to encourage Iran to curb its enrichment program.