Hungary strongly condemns the attack using chemical weapons carried out in Syria on 21 August 2013, as a consequence of which many civilians lost their lives.

The uprising that has been going on for more than two years and the brutal actions of the Assad regime against its own people has caused a grave humanitarian crisis with over a hundred thousand casualties, a great number of wounded and a some two million displaced refugees. The recent chemical attack, however, definitely represents a watershed in the Syrian conflict.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary welcomes the fact that UN chemical weapons inspectors – following an initial obstruction on the part of the Assad regime – have finally been allowed to investigate who was responsible for this terrible and unjustifiable action. We attach great importance to the fact that the UN inspectors should be able to conduct their investigation efficiently and without hindrance. Hungary was among the first countries to sever ties with the Assad regime; the tragic developments of the Syrian conflict and the great number of civilian casualties have demonstrated that this was a well-founded decision.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)