Approximately 80 percent of Syrian chemical weapons removed and destroyed

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, April 21 (UPI) -- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and United Nations Joint Mission announced that the Syrian government is nearing the goal of removing and destroying its chemical weapons by April 27.

As of April 19, "the Syrian Arab Republic has removed or destroyed in-country approximately 80 percent of its chemical weapons material," confirmed the Joint Mission.

Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission in Damascus, was optimistic that the government will meet the looming April 27 deadline. “The renewed pace in movements is positive and necessary to ensure progress towards a tight deadline."

Kaag tweeted Saturday that "work continues!"

UN Security Council Resolution 2118 for the "Scheduled Destruction of Syria's Chemical Weapons" was adopted on September 27, 2013.

[OPCW-UN Joint Mission]