All Syrian samples will be in designated labs by Wednesday: UN chief

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said here Tuesday that all bio-medical and environmental samples taken from the site of the alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria will be in designated laboratories by Wednesday, and UN inspectors will do their best to expedite the analysis process.

Ban made the statement before his departure to St. Petersburg, Russia, for a summit of Group of Twenty (G20) slated for Thursday and Friday.

"I am pleased to announce that all bio-medical and environmental samples will have arrived at designated laboratories by tomorrow," said the UN chief.

"We are doing our utmost to expedite the process," he said, stressing the importance of not jeopardizing the scientific timelines required for accurate analysis.

According to Ban, the samples analysis will be conducted in an objective and impartial manner and strictly in line with internationally recognized standards.

"The mission's success is in everyone's interests," he added.