Mideast situation/SecCo resolution – Letter from Belarus

Letter dated 14 March 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Belarus

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit the text of a statement by the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus concerning the adoption of Security Council resolution 1397 (2002) on the situation in the Middle East (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 41 and 42, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Sergei Ling
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

Annex to the letter dated 14 March 2002 from the Permanent Representative

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

Statement by the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus concerning

the adoption of the Security Council resolution on the situation in the Middle East

The Republic of Belarus welcomes the adoption on 12 March 2002 of Security Council resolution 1397 (2002) concerning the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine.

The vision of the Middle East approved by the Security Council as a region where two States, Israel and Palestine, will peacefully coexist within secure and recognized borders, is in keeping with the position of the Republic of Belarus on the Middle East conflict.

We fully support the demand made in the resolution for the immediate cessation of violence, including terrorist acts, and the call to the parties to the conflict to cooperate in the implementation of the Tenet plan and the Mitchell report with the aim of resuming peace negotiations on a political settlement.

The Republic of Belarus believes that the adoption of the Security Council resolution, which is positively regarded both by the Palestinians and by the Israelis, is a significant contribution by the international community to the process of the peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict.

14 March 2002