The global chemical arms watchdog said Friday it has chosen two US and Finnish companies to help destroy Syria's chemical arsenal as part of an ambitious plan that has suffered a string of setbacks.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Finland's Ekokem would destroy chemical weapon ingredients as well as some effluent left over from destruction activities aboard a US ship.
The US subsidiary of French company Veolia Environment was chosen from 14 bids from around the world to destroy the remainder of the chemicals, the OPCW said in a statement.
"The conclusion of this process represents an important step towards the full destruction of Syrian chemical weapons within the agreed timelines," it added, amid Western accusations that Damascus is dragging its feet.
Syria's chemical arms and precursors are slowly leaving the country on Western warships, from where they will be transferred to the US ship to be turned into toxic sludge or to companies that have agreed to destroy the other chemicals.
Tenders to help destroy Syria's entire arsenal by a tight June 30 deadline came from a wide-range of companies, including France's Airbus, China National Chemical Corporation, Switzerland's Dottikon and US-based Paragon Waste Solutions.
Germany said in January that it would help destroy waste left over from neutralising Syria's chemicals, and Britain said in December it would destroy 150 tonnes of its industrial grade chemicals.
The OPCW and the United Nations are participating in a joint mission overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons program under a UN resolution approved last year.
The OPCW says the cost of destroying chemical materials alone will run between 25 and 30 million euros ($A38.36 and $A46.03 million).
