Historical archive

Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende condemns the use of chlorine weapons in Syria

Historical archive

Published under: Solberg's Government

Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

We regularly receive reports that the Assad regime is dropping barrel bombs on towns and villages. These homemade bombs indiscriminately hit schools, mosques and residential areas, causing even more suffering to the Syrian civilian population, who have already endured so much. We have recently seen heart-rending pictures which seem to indicate that chlorine has been used in some of these bombs.

The use of chlorine gas as a weapon is in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law and UN Security Council resolution 2118.

The people of Syria are now entering their fifth year of war. The war must be brought to an end, and civilians must be given access to emergency aid. There is an urgent need to bring about ceasefire agreements and find political solutions to the conflict.