AMSTERDAM: The world’s chemical weapons watchdog, which is overseeing the destruction of Syria’s toxic arsenal, called on the government of President Bashar Assad to pick up momentum in handing over the remaining chemicals.

Syria missed a deadline to transport the most toxic substances out of the country by Dec. 31, loading a first batch of chemicals onto a Danish cargo vessel on Tuesday, a week late.

The Syrian government has until the end of March to hand over the so-called first priority chemicals, including around 20 tons of lethal mustard gas, and to the end of June to completely eliminate its chemical weapons program.