EU Offers to Help Implement U.S.-Russia Deal on Syria as France, UK Hail 'Breakthrough'

The European Union on Saturday welcomed a Russian-U.S. deal to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles and offered the bloc's help with implementing the agreement.

"I welcome the agreement reached today between the United States and the Russian Federation to ensure the swift and secure destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and program," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

"A number of EU member states have the technical knowledge necessary to assist in securing sites and in dismantling and destroying certain chemical agents" and was ready to help carry out the "important and urgent tasks."

France also hailed the agreement reached Saturday.

"The plan is a significant step forward," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement, after his Russian and U.S. counterparts reached a deal in Geneva.

Fabius, whose country has been Washington's main support in advocating military action against Damascus, added that he was awaiting further information from U.N. inspectors.

"France will take the report to be published Monday by the U.N. inspectors on the Damascus massacre into account before formulating a definitive stance," he said.

The U.N. team which conducted an investigation into the alleged August 21 chemical attack that sparked an international outcry is to release its findings on Monday.

Russia, which has been Damascus' main support and has systematically blocked Western initiatives at the U.N. Security Council, reached a deal with Washington Saturday to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal.

Fabius, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague are expected to meet in Paris on Monday to discuss the details of the deal's implementation.

Hague later on Saturday welcomed the U.S.-Russian Syria deal and said there would be "urgent work" to implement it.

"Have spoken to Secretary Kerry. UK welcomes U.S.-Russia agreement on #Syria chemical weapons. Urgent work on implementation now to take place," Hague said in a message on Twitter.

In a fuller message issued by the Foreign Office, he said: "The priority must now be full and prompt implementation of the agreement, to ensure the transfer of Syria's chemical weapons to international control.

"I will hold talks with Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Fabius in Paris on Monday to discuss the way forward, including action at the United Nations Security Council.

"The onus is now on the Assad regime to comply with this agreement in full. The international community, including Russia, must hold the regime to account.

"This includes doing everything we can to stop the continuing bloodshed in Syria, bringing all sides together to agree a political solution to the conflict."

Britain has been pushing for a strong international response to an alleged chemical attack in Damascus last month which was blamed on Assad's regime.

But Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to back down on threats of military action, made alongside the United States, after lawmakers voted against strikes.

The plan outlined by Kerry in Geneva provides for the removal and destruction of Syria's vast chemical arsenal by mid-2014.

Kerry's Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference wrapping up the three days of talks in Switzerland that the U.N. Security Council would take action if Damascus failed to meet its international obligations on chemical weapons.