MOSCOW — The Russian Foreign Ministry's point man on Syria says Moscow has guarantees from the Syrian government that it will not use or move its chemical weapons.

Speaking in an interview to The Associated Press on Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that Russia is working closely with the Syrian government to make sure its arsenal of chemical weapons remains securely in place and does not fall into the hands of terrorists.

President Barack Obama warned earlier this week that the United States might be forced to intervene in the Syrian civil war if the Syrian government were to use or move such weapons of mass destruction.

Gatilov said Russia is in full agreement with the Americans on the need to prevent Syria's chemical weapons from being used.