Lebanon situation/Non-Lebanese armed groups – SecGen report under S/RES/1701 – Position of the Syrian Arab Republic (excerpts)

Identical letters dated 9 July 2012 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council 

  

  

 Upon instruction from my Government, I have the honour to transmit herewith a letter which represents the position of the Syrian Arab Republic on the latest report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). 

 I would highly appreciate if the present letter and its annex were circulated as a document of the Security Council before the date of the discussion of that report by the Security Council. 

  

  

(Signed) Bashar Ja’afari 

Ambassador 

Permanent Representative 

---

Annex to the identical letters dated 9 July 2012 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council 

  

[Original: Arabic] 

 On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit to you the position of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic on the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) (S/2012/502). 

 •  The Syrian Arab Republic once again affirms its commitment to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon. Syria further reaffirms its commitment to providing the Lebanese Government with all possible support and assistance in consolidating its authority and sovereignty over all Lebanese territory. 

/…

 •  Paragraph 39: Syria affirms that the Palestinian presence in Lebanon, Syria and other States is the outcome of the humanitarian tragedy that has been the fate of the Palestinian people for more than 50 years, following the occupation of their homeland, their dispossession and the failure of the international community to respect and protect human rights in Palestine. Syria has nothing to do with the Lebanese-Palestinian agreements that regulate that presence. As for the report’s statement regarding the existence of Palestinian bases along the Lebanese-Syrian border, we reiterate our affirmation that all such bases are within Lebanese territory, and therefore it is not possible for Syria to intervene in that matter, which is historically linked to the aforementioned reasons for the Palestinian presence in Lebanon and other neighbouring States, including Syria. Those reasons are exacerbated by Israel’s persistent refusal to implement the resolutions of international legitimacy and, in particular, Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and General Assembly resolution 194 (III), which guarantees the right of return of the refugees to the lands from which they were driven out. Israel also persistently obstructs all approaches to and opportunities for a comprehensive peace in the region. 

/…

  

  

(Signed) Bashar Ja’afari 

Ambassador 

Permanent Representative 

____________