Council conclusions on Lebanon – 2656th session of the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting – EU press release/Non-UN document

COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION

Council conclusions on Lebanon

(Extract from the press release of the 2656th session of the EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Council meeting – Luxembourg, 25 April 2005)

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"The Council would point to the importance it attaches to full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559 and reaffirms its full support for the mission of the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen. It welcomes the continuing withdrawal of Syrian troops and expects all Syrian troops and security services to have been withdrawn from Lebanon by 30 April 2005. In this connection, the Council awaits with interest the United Nations Secretary-General's report on the implementation of Resolution 1559.

The Council takes note of the appointment of Mr Najib Miqati as President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon and welcomes the formation of the new government. It expresses the wish that this government will be able to organise, on schedule, free, fair and transparent elections, conducted without any outside interference or meddling, and under local and international monitoring.

The Council reaffirms its readiness to provide assistance for the electoral process in Lebanon which might, with the Lebanese Government's consent, include the dispatch of an election observation mission."

The Council welcomes the unanimous adoption, on 7 April 2005, of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1595 and the decision to establish an independent international commission of enquiry based in Lebanon to assist the Lebanese authorities in investigating all aspects of the attack on 14 February 2005. It is the Council's wish that this commission be able to start work quickly so that those responsible for the assassination of Mr Rafik Hariri can be brought to justice in Lebanon."

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