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BISHKEK — Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday that Beijing supports Russia’s proposal that Syria surrender its chemical weapons to international control for their eventual destruction. China pays high attention to the Syrian situation, the Chinese leader said while addressing the 13th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the Kyrgyzstani capital of Bishkek.

Beijing supports the international community in seeking a ceasefire and an end to violence and in mediating dialogues and negotiations, he said, urging both sides in the Syrian conflict to  find  a  political solution to the crisis.

Voicing China’s support for Russia’s proposal, Xi said China is ready to enhance communication and co-ordination with related parties through the UN Security Council, and will continue its unremitting efforts in facilitating a political settlement.

Other participating heads of state also called for an immediate end to violence, an early start of inclusive political dialogues and the convening of an international conference.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Syria’s decision to join an anti-chemical weapons convention and said it was a “serious step” toward solving the ongoing Syrian crisis as he attended the opening day of a summit.

“We should welcome the decision of the Syrian leadership. I would like to express the hope that it will be a very serious step on the road to settlement of the Syrian crisis,” Putin said.

The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations said on Thursday that Damascus had officially joined the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which commits members to destroying their stockpiles, a diplomatic move proposed by Russia earlier this week to help  avoid US military strikes on Syria.
The Russian and US foreign ministers are currently taking part in a series of bilateral meetings in Geneva to discuss Syria and how chemical weapons could be secured in the country ravaged by civil war.

Syria is expected to dominate discussions at the SCO, a Beijing-based body set up in 2001 that includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The leaders of Iran, Afghanistan and Mongolia are also in attendance at this year’s annual summit.
Unlike at the G20 summit earlier this month, however, when Putin faced world leaders who supported international military intervention in Syria, the Russian leader is unlikely to encounter any serious challenges to his stance on Syria in Bishkek.

The group issued a declaration yesterday calling for other countries to respect Syrian sovereignty and expressing its support for the Russian plan to place Syria’s chemical weapons under international control.

China has consistently backed Russia in blocking international sanctions on Syria, while Iranian President Hasan Rouhani expressed his support Friday for the Russian initiative and Damascus’ apparent commitment to giving up its chemical weapons. — Xinhua/RIA Novosti.