News World No EU candidate to destroy Syria poison gas stock

No EU candidate to destroy Syria poison gas stock

Brussels: Not a single European Union nation came forward on Monday offering to host the destruction of Syria's poison gas stockpile, with many instead calling for the arsenal to be eradicated close to Syria itself.Belgium



Wherever it happens, the destruction of Syria's weapons will be overseen by experts from the OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its efforts to eradicate poison gas around the world.

Poison gas was first used in Belgium during World War I, and many thousands of canisters still lie buried in the farm fields straddling western Belgium and northern France.

Belgium still has operational forces specialized in neutralizing the gas.

Several EU nations, including Germany and the Netherlands, called for more financial support to take care of the destruction.

Total contributions to the trust fund for the destruction stand at 10.4 million euros ($14 million).

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