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Security Council Urges Syria To Set Up Better Ties with Lebanon

17 May 2006

U.S. Ambassador Bolton says council sent a "clear message to Syria"

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- The Security Council May 17 pressed Syria to work with Lebanon to delineate a clear boundary and establish diplomatic relations.

Adopting Resolution 1680 by a vote of 13 to 0 with China and Russia abstaining, the council strongly encouraged Syria "to respond positively to the request made by the Government of Lebanon, in line with the agreements of the Lebanese national dialogue, to delineate their common border . . . and to establish full diplomatic relations and representations."

The resolution also highlighted Secretary-General Kofi Annan's April report that urged Iran and Syria to cooperate in disarming Lebanese militias and in helping to restore Lebanon's political independence. (See related article.)

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said that the resolution was "a clear message by the Security Council to Syria that we expect them to respond to the offers the government of Lebanon has very responsibly made."

"We'll give Syria some period of time to do that and then in consultation with the government of Lebanon we'll decide what to do next," the ambassador said after the vote.

French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere said that the large majority of support for the resolution is an indication of the "very strong support" in the council for the implementation of Resolution 1559 and the actions of the secretary-general and his special envoy, Terje Roed-Larsen, in Lebanon.

Bolton added that the United States was "very pleased " with the council's action. The resolution, he said, does a number of things for the first time.

"First, it explicitly refers to the role of not just Syria but Iran in bringing stability to Lebanon by referring to the secretary-general's report.  It makes clear that the burden is now on Syria to respond to Lebanon's request for border delineation and full exchange of diplomatic relations," the ambassador said.

"It clearly says to Syria that it needs to do more to stop the flow of weapons across the Syrian-Lebanese border and it makes it clear that the further disarming of all militias inside Lebanon is an important priority," he said.

"We think it is an important step forward in the implementation of [Resolution] 1559 which we continue to follow closely as well as the implementation of 1595 which is the investigation” of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik] Hariri, the ambassador said.  (See related article.) 

Bolton said that the sponsors of the resolution -- Denmark, France, Slovakia, United Kingdom and the United States -- felt it was important for the council to state its position and support for the secretary-general's report in the form of a resolution, not a presidential statement as some delegations would have preferred.

Russia and China contended that a resolution was not needed at this time.

The resolution does not mention Iran by name but calls "on all concerned states and parties" as mentioned in the secretary-general's report to cooperate with Lebanon.

Bolton pointed out that only two states are mentioned in Annan's report -- Syria and Iran.  "So there is no ambiguity on what that phrase means," he said.

The resolution commended Lebanon for taking measures to stop the movement of weapons into its territory and called on Syria to take similar measures.

It also welcomed the decision of Lebanon to disarm Palestinian militias outside refugee camps within six months and called for further efforts to disband and disarm all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.

Security Council Resolution 1559, passed in 2004, calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon; disbanding and disarming of all militias; the extension of the government's control over all Lebanese territory; and strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)