The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said on Saturday that his meetings with Syria's new leaders in Damascus were a "first step" towards ending years of strained relations on chemical arms under now-toppled leader Bashar al-Assad.
"This visit lays the ground for working together towards closing the Syrian chemical weapons file for good and fostering long-term compliance, regional stability, and contributing to peace and international security," Director General Fernando Arias said in a written statement, after meeting Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani in Damascus.