The world’s chemical weapons watchdog was meeting Friday to approve a tight timetable for ridding Syria of its entire arsenal by mid-2014.

The world's chemical weapons watchdog was meeting Friday to approve a tight timetable for ridding Syria of its entire arsenal by mid-2014.

Friday is the deadline for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to agree "destruction milestones" for the more than 1,000 tons of dangerous chemicals in Syria.

A Syrian delegation has been in The Hague, where the OPCW is headquartered, to finalize the roadmap, which is expected to be adopted by consensus by the watchdog's 41-member Executive Council.

Despite general agreement by the international community on helping Syria get rid of its chemical weapons, contentious points remain. They include the supply of so-called "dual purpose" equipment to help with the transport of the chemicals, and the destination they will be taken to for destruction.

A team of UN-OPCW inspectors has been on the ground since October checking Syria's weapons and facilities.

Destruction of chemical weapons production facilities was completed last month and all chemicals and precursors placed under seal, the OPCW said last month ahead of a November 1 deadline backed by a UN Security Council resolution.

There is consensus that the chemicals are best destroyed out of the country, which is wracked by a conflict that has killed thousands.