Damascus, The Syrian government has handed over the details of its chemical weapons programme to the world's chemical weapons watchdog, Sky News reported Friday.

 

 The Bashar al-Assad regime handed over "initial disclosure" of Syria's arsenal of poison gas and nerve agents to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the implementing agency of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

 

 The watchdog, tasked with dismantling Syria's stockpile of nerve agents, has confirmed that Syria has given an "initial declaration" outlining its programme.

 

 It, however, did not release the details of the declaration which are being verified. 

 

 OPCW is looking at ways to fast-track moves to secure and destroy Syria's arsenal of poison gas and nerve agents as well as its production facilities.

 

 Under a US-Russia agreement brokered last week, Syria is expected to put its chemical weapons stocks under international control. Inspectors are due to be on the ground in Syria by November.

 

IANS