Ban Hopes for “Quick Progress” in Controlling Lebanese-Syrian Border
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has expressed hope that Lebanon and Syria would "fully" control their common border to prevent arms and drug smuggling, An Nahar daily reported Tuesday.
Ban told the newspaper”s correspondent in New York that the issue of controlling weapons and drug smuggling was very important for Lebanon.
He hoped that "quick progress would be made" in "fully controlling" the common border in the aftermath of a decision to establish diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus.
Ban told An Nahar that he urged Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Premier Fouad Saniora and Syrian President Bashar Assad to act on the issue during his meetings and telephone conversations with them.
He said the issue of controlling the common border is always a "priority" to consolidate Lebanon”s "sovereignty, unity and political independence."
The Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT), which was set up in April 2007, said in a report in September that progress in fortifying Lebanon”s border with Syria has been minimal, adding that the eastern border remains "penetrable."
It said, however, that some positive steps have been made on the strengthening of the northern border.
The four-member team was dispatched by the U.N. chief to examine progress made in enhancing border management and security as called for in Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.