US-Russian deal on Syria to be judged on results: Israel

Israel said that US-Russia deal on Syrian chemical weapons would be judged by its "result" as John Kerry arrived here on day-long trip to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss latest diplomatic developments.

Jerusalem: Israel on Sunday said that US-Russia deal on Syrian chemical weapons would be judged by its "result" as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived here on day-long trip to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss latest diplomatic developments.

Netanyahu expressed hopes that the US-Russian deal to remove Syrian chemical weapons would lead to "complete destruction" of the arsenal.

"We hope the understandings reached between the United States?and Russia regarding the Syrian chemical weapons will yield results," the Israeli Premier said in a speech at a memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers killed in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

"These understandings will be judged by their result - the complete destruction of all of the chemical weapons stockpiles that the Syrian regime has used against its own people," he said.

Kerry and Netanyahu briefly met in Jerusalem today during which the US Secretary of State briefed the Israeli leader on the deal, Army Radio reported.

Although Kerry`s one-day trip to Israel was planned before the announcement of the US-Russian deal, and was originally to focus primarily on the Palestinian diplomatic track, it is now expected to deal primarily with the Geneva agreement.

The US` top diplomat had met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in London last week while his planned meeting with Netanyahu in Rome last week had to be cancelled because of the Syrian situation.
The US Secretary of State was last in Jerusalem in July when his intensive shuttle diplomacy led to the restart of Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Kerry will leave for Paris for discussions about Syria with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and British Foreign Secretary William Hague. He is also likely to meet the Saudi Foreign Minister in Paris.

PTI

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