UN envoy discusses foreign influence in Lebanon with Jordanian and Palestinian leaders – UN news item

UN envoy discusses foreign influence in Lebanon with Jordanian and Palestinian leaders 

23 March 2006 – A senior United Nations envoy held separate talks today with the King of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority President, to discuss the political process in Lebanon and wider regional issues in the Middle East.

Terje Roed-Larsen, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy for the implementation of Security Council 1559, which focuses on an end to foreign interference in Lebanon, travelled to Amman to meet first with His Majesty King Abdullah bin Hussein and other senior Jordanian officials.

“Jordan has always played an important role in the efforts for security, stability and peace in the region. The Secretary-General’s partnership with His Majesty the King will continue in the pursuit of common goals,” Mr. Roed-Larsen said. The discussions focused on issues related to resolution 1559 and the situation in the wider region.

Following these talks, he then went on to meet Palestinian Authority President and PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, also in Amman.

“I am much encouraged by my talks with the Palestinian President, which focused on the Palestinian militias in Lebanon in view of the situation in the wider region. President Abbas’s strong support for resolution 1559 is much appreciated, and on behalf of the Secretary-General, I will stay in close contact with him on all the relevant issues.”

Security Council resolution 1559 calls for withdrawing all foreign forces from Lebanon, holding free elections, disbanding all militias and extending Government control over the whole country.

While the first two goals were achieved last year with Syrian withdrawal and parliamentary elections, the Security Council has called for a dialogue on the second two, and earlier this month the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, officially initiated the first round of the so-called Lebanese National Dialogue, a move Mr. Annan welcomed.

“The Dialogue has already yielded important agreements, and we look forward to its next stage,” Mr. Roed-Larsen said on Tuesday, after conferring with senior officials of Qatar, another key regional player.

Multi-party talks, aimed at bringing about national reconciliation, were scheduled to resume in Lebanon yesterday.