The BBC's Jeremy Bowen was in the town of Maaloula
Syria's
President Bashar al-Assad has given the first indication of a timeline
for placing its chemical weapons under international control.
He told Russian TV that Syria would apply to join a UN
chemicals convention "in the next few days" and submit arms data a month
after signing.US and Russian foreign ministers are preparing to meet in Geneva to discuss the plan, proposed by Moscow this week.
The US accuses the Syrian regime of killing hundreds in a chemical attack.
The government denies the allegation, blaming rebels for the attack in the Ghouta area of the capital, Damascus, on 21 August.
'Chance for peace' Russia announced its proposal for dealing with the escalating chemical weapons crisis on Monday, as the US Congress was preparing to vote on whether to back President Barack Obama's moves towards military action against Syria.
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The fact that the Russians and Americans are sending such
large delegations to Geneva, including hordes of military and security
officials, suggests a real desire on both sides to make use of this
moment.
But the hurdles are immense. The Americans, along with the British and French, want to see some kind of enforcement mechanism to hold President Assad's feet to the fire. The Russians say this is simply not acceptable. President Putin, in a well-timed article in the New York Times, pours scorn on American threats of force.
But even if this fundamental stumbling block can be overcome (if the US Congress passes its own resolution, with deadlines and threats, then arguably the UN doesn't need to), there are a myriad other problems. Who would be willing to send personnel into a war zone to carry out such hazardous work? What weapons will the Syrians be expected, or willing, to hand over? How long, realistically, will this major undertaking last?
Analysis
But the hurdles are immense. The Americans, along with the British and French, want to see some kind of enforcement mechanism to hold President Assad's feet to the fire. The Russians say this is simply not acceptable. President Putin, in a well-timed article in the New York Times, pours scorn on American threats of force.
But even if this fundamental stumbling block can be overcome (if the US Congress passes its own resolution, with deadlines and threats, then arguably the UN doesn't need to), there are a myriad other problems. Who would be willing to send personnel into a war zone to carry out such hazardous work? What weapons will the Syrians be expected, or willing, to hand over? How long, realistically, will this major undertaking last?
In his interview, which has not
yet been broadcast in full, Mr Assad told state-run Rossiya 24: "Syria
is placing its chemical weapons under international control because of
Russia. The US threats did not influence the decision."
He confirmed that Syria would send relevant documents to the
UN "in the next few days" as part of the process of signing the Chemical
Weapons Convention.Mr Assad said Syria would then submit information on its chemical weapons one month after signing.
He also said that Russia's proposal was "not unilateral", adding: "Syria will accept it if America stops military threats and if other countries supplying the rebels with chemical weapons also abide by the agreement."
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“Start Quote
Putin's opinion piece is a savage dissection of Mr Obama's argument for military action against Syria”
He said only Russia could make the agreement happen as "Syria has neither contacts with, nor trust in, America".
Earlier on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov outlined three main phases of the proposal: - Syria joins the Chemical Weapons Convention, which outlaws the production and use of the weapons
- Syria reveals where its chemical weapons are stored and gives details of its programme
- Experts decide on the specific measures to be taken
He did not mention the destruction of the weapons, which was part of Moscow's original proposal but is thought to be a sticking point in negotiations with Damascus.
Before meeting Mr Lavrov, Mr Kerry has been holding talks with UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi.
Diplomatic coup President Obama said on Thursday that he was "hopeful" of a positive outcome to the Kerry-Lavrov talks.
US officials had earlier described Russia's plan as "doable but difficult".
Officials travelling with Mr Kerry said they want a rapid agreement with the Russians on principles for the process, including a demand for Syria to give a quick, complete and public declaration of its stockpile.
BBC News asked people in the Middle East to share their views on a possible military strike against Syria
Russian media have hailed the move as a diplomatic coup.
President Vladimir Putin affirmed this view by writing an opinion piece in the New York Times lambasting US policy, saying strikes would lead to an upsurge in terrorism.
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9 Sep: Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says he has urged Syria to hand in chemical weapons and have them destroyed; Syria welcomes plan
10 Sep: Syria's foreign minister makes first public admission of the regime's chemical weapons stockpile; Syria commits to Russian plan. Barack Obama postpones Congress vote on military action and says he will give Russian plan a chance
12 Sep: John Kerry due to meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva
Chemical weapons plan timeline
5-6 Sep: Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama discuss idea of placing Syria's chemical weapons under international control on sidelines of G20 summit9 Sep: Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says he has urged Syria to hand in chemical weapons and have them destroyed; Syria welcomes plan
10 Sep: Syria's foreign minister makes first public admission of the regime's chemical weapons stockpile; Syria commits to Russian plan. Barack Obama postpones Congress vote on military action and says he will give Russian plan a chance
12 Sep: John Kerry due to meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva
But state department officials have been stressing the exploratory nature of the talks.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Russian plan
"must be treated with great caution", and experts have pointed out the
difficulty of conducting such a process in a war zone.The main Syrian armed rebel group has already refused to co-operate.
Gen Salim Idriss of the Free Syrian Army said he categorically rejected the plan, and insisted that the most important thing was to punish the perpetrators of chemical attacks.
If the talks in Geneva are successful, the US hopes the disarmament process will be agreed in a UN Security Council resolution.
However, Russia regards as unacceptable any resolution backed by military force, or a resolution that blames the Syrian government for chemical attacks.
Moscow has already objected to a draft resolution that would be enforced by Chapter VII of the UN charter, which would in effect sanction the use of force if Syria failed in its obligations.
Russia, supported by China, has blocked three previous draft resolutions condemning the Assad government.
More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against President Assad began in 2011.
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