Lebanese premier comments on Barak's statements on peace

Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss has reiterated Lebanon's commitment to a just and comprehensive settlement that provides for liberating the land and restoring legitimate rights. He stressed his country's persistence toward resuming negotiations from the point at which they broke off, providing for Israel's withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 border lines.

In a statement he made in Beirut on Wednesday the Lebanese premier added that "our final and unwavering stand" is commitment to United Nations resolution 425 and refusal of any condition to which Israel tries to link its withdrawal.

He added that security in Lebanon is the responsibility of the state of Lebanon and it is the alone the side which decides measures that should be taken in this regard.

On the failure to mention UN Security Council resolution no. 425 in the address made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak before the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday when Barak spoke about the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from south Lebanon, al-Hoss said, "I do not want to be pessimistic while so many express their optimism on resuming the march of settlement in the region," adding, "but I would note that Barak did not say he will resume negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks from the point they broke off under the former Israeli labor government in which he was the foreign minister as well as ignoring UN Security Council resolution 425, which calls for Israel's unconditional withdrawal, when he talked about the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from Lebanon."

Al-Hoss continued that Barak talked about guaranteeing the security of the northern borders of Israel.