DHAKA: US state secretary John Kerry has arrived in Geneva to meet Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov as the UN tries to forge an international plan to disarm the Syrian government of its chemical weapons.

Lavrov and Kerry will discuss efforts to agree a UN resolution on the issue, as well as the practicalities of finding, removing and destroying chemical stockpiles during a civil war in which more than 100,000 people have already died.

However, the diplomats are expected to clash on whether a UN resolution should contain the threat of force, something to which Russia is deeply opposed.

Both ministers would be accompanied by chemical weapons experts at the meeting in the Swiss city, reports Al Jazeera.

The meeting comes a day after the permanent members of the Security Council - the US, UK, China, Russia and France - met to discuss the content of draft resolutions proposed by Russia and France.

The discussion ‘helped to pave the way for tomorrow’s meeting’ in Geneva, one council diplomat told media, but an agreement was not reached.

France’s draft states that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s forces should be condemned for their use of chemical weapons on August 21 in Damascus, and threatens force if they do not comply with disarmament.

Russia insists there is no evidence to prove Assad used chemical weapons, and does not want any threat of force in a resolution.

BDST: 1621 HRS, SEPT 12, 2013
RoR/Jck