The US and Russia have agreed to a plan for the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons that would avert a proposed US military strike against the war-torn Middle East country.

Under the agreement, which was reached on the third day of talks in Geneva, Syria must account for its secret stockpile within a week and let international inspectors eliminate all the weapons by the middle of next year.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN will be responsible for dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities. The UN will impose penalties if Syria fails to comply.

It was not immediately clear whether Syria had signed on to the agreement.

The US and Russia further agreed to push for a UN Security Council resolution that would bring the chemical weapons agreement under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which can authorise both the use of force and non-military measures.

US President Barack Obama called the deal a “concrete step toward the goal of moving Syria’s chemical weapons under international control.” However, he also made clear that “if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared to act.”

Some analysts have questioned whether such a disarmament is feasible in the midst of a civil war and whether international inspectors will be able to gain access to all of the sites, some of which are mobile.