Mideast situation – Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon – SecCo Presidential statement

Statement by the President of the Security Council

At the 4131st meeting of the Security Council, held on 20 April 2000 in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “The situation in the Middle East”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council welcomes the letters of the Secretary-General to its President of 6 April (S/2000/294) and 17 April 2000 (S/2000/322), which includes notification of the decision of the Government of Israel, as stated in its letter of 17 April 2000 from the Foreign Minister of Israel to the Secretary-General, to withdraw its forces present in Lebanon in full accordance with resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978 and its intention to cooperate fully with the United Nations in the implementation of its decision.

“The Security Council endorses the decision of the Secretary-General to initiate preparations to enable the United Nations to carry out its responsibilities under resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), as described in his letter of 17 April 2000.

“The Security Council shares the view expressed by the Secretary-General in his letter of 6 April 2000 that cooperation by all parties concerned will be required in order to avoid a deterioration of the situation. It welcomes his decision to send his Special Envoy to the region as soon as practicable and encourages all parties to cooperate fully in the complete implementation of resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978).

“The Security Council looks forward to the Secretary-General reporting back as soon as possible on relevant developments, including the outcome of the consultations with the parties and all interested Member States and those contributing troops to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and his conclusions and recommendations regarding the plans and requirements for implementation of resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) and all other relevant resolutions.

“The Security Council stresses the importance of, and the need for, achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973.”

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