EU Ambassadors Visit UNIFIL, Voice Support for Army, Lebanese Authorities
A delegation of European Union ambassadors on Wednesday visited the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The delegation was composed of the ambassadors and representatives of the European Union and Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden.
The EU delegation was welcomed at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura by the Force Commander General Michael Beary. Discussions focused on UNIFIL’s activities in its area of operation following the recent renewal of the mission’s mandate. The delegation also visited a UNIFIL position along the Blue Line where it took stock of the security situation in the sector.
The EU representatives commended “the positive role of UNIFIL in maintaining peace and stability in southern Lebanon,” a statement issued by the Delegation of the European Union in Lebanon said.
They reaffirmed the EU and Member States' “full support to UNIFIL, including its maritime component, whose deployment alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) they considered crucial to maintaining stability and security in southern Lebanon and along the Lebanese shores.”
They also recalled “the importance for UNIFIL to be provided with the necessary means and equipment to guarantee its full operational capability to which several EU Member States are making significant contributions.”
The EU representatives met with the Lebanese Army Commander of the South Litani sector, Brig. Gen. Robert Alam, who briefed them on the army's activities in its area of operation.
They welcomed “the LAF's cooperation with UNIFIL and its deployment across southern Lebanon,” calling for “a sustained assistance to the LAF to allow it to continue performing its mandate.”
The ambassadors further expressed “the EU's full support to the efforts of the Lebanese authorities, the LAF and the security agencies in the fight against terrorism and the prevention of radicalization,” welcoming the cooperation between the EU and Lebanon in this regard.
Ambassador Lassen, Head of the Delegation of the European Union, said: "The EU and its Member States fully support the work of UNIFIL, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Lebanese authorities in maintaining peace, security and stability all across Lebanon."
Reaffirming the EU's “commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon,” Ambassador Lassen stressed the importance of Lebanon's “continued commitment to the full implementation of its international obligations, in particular UNSC Resolution 1701.”
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/237274 |