ForMin Melescanu: Romania firmly condemns chemical weapon use, particularly against civilians

Romania firmly condemns the use of chemical weapons in any circumstances, but particularly when they are used against civilians, Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Thursday.

Melescanu was asked during a joint press statement with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian about a possible international military response to the chemical attack in Syria.

"Romania firmly condemns the use of chemical weapons in any circumstances, but particularly when they are used against civilians. We strongly support the idea of investigating, of putting at the disposal of the special body, a body that must be impartial and independent, all the data to be able to see what the realities on field are, and, secondly, the measures that should be taken on the international society level," Melescanu said.

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian said that a chemical weapon attack is "intolerable."

"There is a red line in respect to the situation in Syria, but this red line is also valid for other situations - it is our respect for the International Convention on Banning Chemical Weapons of 1993. (...) We are firm and, as the President of the Republic said [Emmanuel Macron] the day before yesterday, this situation isn't tolerable. This red line was crossed and we must make decisions in the days to come," he pointed out.

Asked if the message President Trump has recently published on Twitter concerning the situation in Syria helped France to make a decision in this respect, Le Drian said: "France is autonomous in its decisions."

Donald Trump responded to Russia on Twitter on Wednesday, after the message of a Russian official according to which any missile launched towards Syria would be taken down, in which the US President told Moscow to get prepared for the beautiful, new and smart missiles that are about to come.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!," Trump wrote on Twitter.

After over 40 persons were killed last Saturday in a supposed chemical attack in Douma, the last bastion of insurgents near the Syrian Capital of Damascus, Donald Trump condemned the atrocious attack on some innocent civilians and said he would make a decision on the steps to be made over the next 24 - 48 hours.

On Tuesday, Russia used its veto right in the UN Security Council to reject a US resolution draft providing the creation of an inquiry mechanism on the employment of chemical weapons in Syria, after last Saturday's attacks in Douma. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Adina Panaitescu, editor: Simona Iacob)