Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) receives an interview with Russia 24 channel in Damascus, capital of Syria, on Spet.12, 2013. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that he agreed to put chemical weapons under international observation "upon the request of Russia and not because of the American threats," the state-run SANA news agency reported Thursday. Syria on Thursday formally applied to join the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), vowing to immediately fully abide with the treaty. (Xinhua/SANA)