NATO chief welcomes US statement on Syria

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed on Friday the US statement on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, but insisted that a political solution is the right way forward to the crisis. "This is indeed a matter of great concern. The international community has made clear that any use of chemical weapons is completely unacceptable and a clear breach of international law," said Rasmussen during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Moldova Iurie Leanca at NATO headquarters. "I welcome the clear US statement. It is urgent that the Syrian regime should grant access to the United Nations to investigate all the reports of chemical weapons use," he said. "As for NATO, I still believe the Patriot (missile) deployment will ensure effective protection of Turkey against any missile attack whether the missiles carry chemical weapons or not," added Rasmussen. "As for a solution to this problem I still believe that the right way forward is a political solution. In that respect I welcome the joint American-Russian initiative to call an international conference and I urge all parties involved, the government and the opposition in Syria to attend that conference and hopefully pave the way for a long term sustainable political solution," he indicated.