Clear action needed on chemical weapons - McCully

The New Zealand Government wants the international community to take clear steps to ensure chemical weapons are not used again in Syria, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.

"The New Zealand Government supports the statement made by the majority of countries represented at last week's G20 meeting, since endorsed by others, condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria, calling for those responsible to be held to account, seeking an early report from the UN inspectors, and appropriate action in response from the UN Security Council,” Mr McCully says.

“Over the past week our embassy in New York has met with almost all of the elected members of the United Nations Security Council to press the case for the Council to address the Syria issue.

“The international community needs to take appropriate steps to ensure that there can be no further use of chemical weapons in Syria. The recent suggestion by Russia that Syria should hand over its stocks of chemical weapons deserves constructive consideration."

Mr McCully says he intends to arrange a briefing for representatives of other political parties in the latter part of this week.