UN Security Council welcomes Israel's Lebanon withdrawal notice

The United Nations Security Council yesterday welcomed Israel's planned withdrawal from south Lebanon.

In a presidential statement the Security Council welcomed notification from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan of a letter in which Israel formally expressed its intent "to withdraw its forces present in Lebanon in full accordance with resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978 and its intention to cooperate fully with the United Nations in the implementation of its decision.

"The Security Council endorses the decision of the Secretary-General to initiate preparations to enable the United Nations to carry out its responsibilities under resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), as described in his letter of 17 April 2000," the statement said, adding that cooperation between all parties involved would be needed "in order to avoid a deterioration of the situation."

It welcomed Annan's decision to send an envoy to the region and said the SC "stresses the importance of, and the need for, achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all relevant Security Council resolutions including resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973)."