Suleiman Stresses Commitment to 1701, Says Lebanon Looks Forward to Being Elected Security Council Member
President Michel Suleiman told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that Lebanon is committed to the implementation of international resolutions, particularly 1701, and looks forward to being elected a non-permanent Security Council member.
"Lebanon looks forward with hope and confidence to being elected to the non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council for 2010-2012 and the great support which we are hoping to get from brotherly and friendly countries," Suleiman said in his address to the General Assembly.
"Lebanon reiterates its commitment to the U.N. Charter and international resolutions, particularly resolution 1701," he stressed, urging the international community to compel Israel to implement all 1701″s provisions including withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms, Kfarshouba hills and the northern part of the border village of Ghajar.
Israel should also stop its daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty, Suleiman said.
On the issue of Palestinians in Lebanon, Suleiman said that Beirut rejects "any form of settlement of the Palestinian refugees in its territories."
"Such a stance will neither be compromised nor reversed," according to the president.
Suleiman also told the General Assembly that parliamentary consultations are taking their full course in accordance with the Lebanese constitution. "We are looking forward to forming a national unity government very soon."
The president said coexistence in Lebanon goes against all currents of ethnic or religious cleansing. "That”s why I called last year to make Lebanon an internationally recognized center for the dialogue of civilizations."
Suleiman tackled in his speech the Mideast crisis and said any solution "should be founded on a pre-determined and integrated scheme, the basic elements of which have been mapped out in the resolutions of international legitimacy."
"However, the Israeli side has not shown such a will," Suleiman told world leaders.
The international community should resort to appropriate means of pressure to compel Israel to fulfill its international obligations towards the peace process, he said in his 20-minute speech.
Suleiman finally vowed to pursue efforts to force Israel to pay due compensation for the full damage that it caused through its repeated aggressions against Lebanon, particularly during the 2006 war with Hizbullah.