THE HAGUE, Dec 11: An international body overseeing the destruction of chemical weapons stocks said on Monday it had granted an extension to India, Libya, Russia and the United States.

“The States Parties approved requests for extensions of the final date for the destruction of the declared chemical weapons stockpiles, (initially planned for) April 29, 2007,” said a statement from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague.

India is now due to finish the programme in April 2009, Libya in December 2010, and Russia and the United States in April 2012, the final date for the destruction of stocks stipulated in the convention on chemical weapons that the countries have signed.Up to now, 16 per cent of the declared 71,000 tons of chemical agents have been destroyed under international observation, the OPCW said.

The OPCW members states met annually for the 11th time last week, when they also supported a programme of visits to 200 international industrial chemical sites in 2007 and to 187 missions to check storage and destruction operations.—AFP