Albanian government likely to accept chemical weapons shipment for decommissioning, triggering further protests

EVENT

Around 300 environmentalist activists protested peacefully outside parliament buildings in the Albanian capital Tirana on 12 November. A second protest was staged at the nearby US embassy following a diplomatic request for Albania to host and dismantle Syrian chemical weapons.

An Albanian student wears a gas mask and holds a sign during a protest in Tirana against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania, on 14 November 2013. (PA)

The Mjekes facility near the central Albanian town of Elbasan and the Qafe Molle centre near Tirana are the only secure bases in Albania with the experience to dismantle between 1,000 and 1,300 tonnes of chemical weapons agents ranging from mustard gas to the precursors for sarin and VX, which Syria declared to the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

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