Bassil Goes to Naqoura in First Such Visit to UNIFIL by Lebanese FM
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil went to the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on Friday, the first such visit by a Lebanese foreign minister to the peacekeeping mission since 1978.
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Luciano Portolano briefed Bassil in Naqoura on the situation in UNIFIL’s area of operations south of the Litani River, said a press release.
He also briefed him on issues related to the implementation of UNIFIL's mandate under U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the war between Israel and Hizbullah in 2006, it said.
Bassil and Portolano discussed the need for continued close cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese authorities to ensure stability and calm in southern Lebanon.
Following the meeting Portolano said: “I was honored and encouraged by the Foreign Minister’s visit ... This is the first visit of a Lebanese Foreign Minister to UNIFIL since 1978.”
“The visit sends a strong message that Lebanon stands firm in its commitment to resolution 1701 and to our mission, notwithstanding the challenges the country faces today,” he said.
The general added that he assured Bassil of UNIFIL's continued full support to the efforts of the government to strengthen the capacity of the Lebanese army.
UNIFIL was established in 1978. But its mission was extended and enlarged after Israel's aggression on Lebanon in 2006.
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