Mideast situation/Lebanon – Note verbale from Yemen

Note verbale dated 23 April 2001 from the Permanent Mission of Yemen

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Yemen to the United Nations presents its compliments to the Secretary-General and has the honour to transmit to him herewith the text of a statement issued by the Ministry [of Foreign Affairs of Yemen] concerning Israel’s recent escalation, as exemplified by its wanton aggression against Lebanese territory and the bombing of Syrian positions in the Bekaa area of the country. The Permanent Mission of Yemen requests the Secretary-General to have this note and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 40, and of the Security Council.

Annex to the note verbale dated 23 April 2001 from the Permanent Mission

of Yemen to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

The Republic of Yemen has noted with great concern and solicitude Israel’s recent escalation, as exemplified by its wanton aggression against the territory of the Lebanese Republic and its bombing of Syrian forces positions in the Bekaa area of the country.

Yemen strongly condemns and denounces this aggression, which it sees as giving concrete form to the grave threats made by officials of the Zionist entity against the Arab States in a previous time. It affirms its solidarity with and support for the fraternal countries of Lebanon and Syria, and it asserts Lebanon’s right to the full restoration of all its occupied territory within the internationally recognized boundaries, including the Shab`a farmlands. Yemen is of the view that, in current circumstances, a demonstration of every kind of Arab support for and solidarity with Syria and Lebanon is urgently required.

The Republic of Yemen urges the members of the international community, and first and foremost those States that are permanent members of the Security Council, to meet their responsibilities with respect to the escalation and threats in which the State of Israel is engaging and in relation to its attempts to undermine and destroy all chances of the peace process continuing by evading the deadlines imposed on it and seeking to return the region to a climate of tension and war.