The Government has expressed shock at the recent alleged chemical attack on civilians outside Damascus on August 21 that the group Doctors Without Borders says killed 355 people. Syrian President Bashar Assad denies the claim.

In a statement this morning, the government said that the war in Syria has burdened many citizens and created a humanitarian crisis in neighbouring states as refugees fled their country.

The Government said that the use of chemical weapons has been condemned the world over for nearly 100 years and there was agreement that such weapons should never be used in conflict.

It expressed regret that there was no agreement on what course of action to take within the United Nations and appealed to member countries to reach an agreement which should be based on a mature debate which weighed all short and long term effect of such measures.

The Maltese government, it said, was conscious of the effect any measure could have on the region which was already drowning in problems.

It said it would be closely following developments, taking part in the discussions in international fora and in the fight against the use of chemical weapons according to its international obligations.