Discussion of Annexation at Upcoming Security Council Briefing – 19 June Daily Press Briefing – (Excerpts)

19 JUNE 2020

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of 19 June 2020 noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

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Questions and Answers

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Question:  I had another question.  I’m certain that Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov has been in touch with Israeli officials regarding the 1 July possibility of annexation of parts of the West Bank.  My question is, has the Secretary‑General had or is he planning to have any discussion with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu before 1 July?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, regarding that, I think that, next week, there will be a significant Security Council meeting that’s scheduled at a high level concerning the Middle East.  As of right now, the expectation is that Mr. Mladenov will brief, and there’s a possibility that the Secretary‑General may also brief.  And at that point, you can hear from him directly, both about his efforts and his views concerning the situation.  But, yes, the Secretary‑General and Mr. Mladenov are both strongly engaged on this question and will have more to say about this in the coming days, including, like I said, next week in the Security Council.  James, you have a question?

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For information media. Not an official record.