Jeddah, Sep 17 (IANS/WAM): Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu Tuesday welcomed the agreement between the US and Russia over chemical weapons in Syria.

In a press statement issued after the release of the report of the UN inspection team on the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, Ihsanoglu reiterated his organisation's firm stand in condemning the use of chemical weapons.

He stressed the need to punish any party that has anything to do with the production or transfer, development or use of chemical weapons in Syria.

He stressed that the use of these weapons in Syria Aug 21 should be regarded as a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Ihsanoglu confirmed the need to make the Middle East a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons.

The secretary-general commended the performance of the UN inspectors in verifying the use of chemical weapons in Syria, despite the shortcomings and minor glitches in their mission and of the lack of clarity in identifying of those responsible for the attacks.