Washington: US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack on Friday welcomed the restoration of Syria's rights and privileges at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), calling it a "meaningful milestone."

According to Anadolu Agency, Barrack expressed his congratulations to Syria on social media, highlighting the "remarkable progress" made by Syria's new government and its commitment to engaging responsibly with the international community. The decision to reinstate Syria's rights reflects a significant shift in its international standing, as echoed by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

Al-Shaibani described the development as "a historic step" and credited the consensus among OPCW member states for Syria's restored position. He extended gratitude to Syria's diplomatic team in The Hague and acknowledged the pivotal role of Qatar in securing this outcome.

The OPCW Executive Council's decision, adopted by consensus and co-sponsored by 67 States Parties, marks a critical juncture in Syria's reintegration into the chemical weapons watchdog. The organization's statement emphasized the broad support for the draft decision.

Syria's journey with the OPCW began on September 13, 2013, after the devastating chemical attack on Eastern Ghouta and Moadamiyat al-Sham. This led to international intervention and the destruction of Syria's declared chemical weapons stockpile by August 2014. However, subsequent investigations revealed continued use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, resulting in the suspension of some of Syria's OPCW rights in April 2021.

The recent developments follow the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in November 2025, which saw Syria reactivating its permanent mission to the OPCW and appointing Mohammad Katoub as its permanent representative.