US completes destruction of its last chemical weapons stockpile: Biden

Washington, July 8 US President Joe Biden has announced that the country has completed the destruction of its last chemical weapons stockpile.

"For more than 30 years, the United States has worked tirelessly to eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile. Today, I am proud to announce that the United States has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile - bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons," he said in a statement on Friday.

"Successive administrations have determined that these weapons should never again be developed or deployed, and this accomplishment not only makes good on our long-standing commitment under the Chemical Weapons Convention, it marks the first time an international body has verified destruction of an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction," he added.

The US President also expressed gratitude towards the thousands of Americans who gave their time and talents to "this noble and challenging mission" for more than three decades.

"I continue to encourage the remaining nations to join the Chemical Weapons Convention so that the global ban on chemical weapons can reach its fullest potential," Biden said, adding that Russia and Syria should return to compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and "admit their undeclared programmes, which have been used to commit brazen atrocities and attacks".

--IANS

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