Plumbly Meets Miqati, Relays U.N. Concern over Border Incidents with Syria

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly voiced on Tuesday the U.N. Security Council’s appreciation for the “determination of Lebanon’s leaders to protect their country from the effects of the crisis in neighboring Syria and other regional developments.”

He said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati: “Security Council members were concerned, and so naturally am I, very concerned, at the border incidents that have been taking place in the north and the Bekaa.”

“They had stressed the importance of respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

“I hope that all will hear the message that Lebanon’s sovereignty must be respected,” he continued.

He relayed to the premier “the commitment of the international community to continue supporting the Lebanese government in meeting its humanitarian obligations towards the thousands of displaced Syrians who have taken refuge in Lebanon.”

Syrian troops have repeatedly infiltrated crossed into Lebanese border territories under the claim that they are chasing army deserters and members of armed gangs.

Several people have been killed and wounded in the repeated incursions.

On Monday, President Michel Suleiman tasked Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour to file a complaint to the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali over the infiltrations.

In addition, Plumbly briefed Miqati on his recent visit to New York and on the Security Council session on the implementation of resolution 1701 and conveyed Council members' thanks for his action in transferring the necessary funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Addressing the postponement of the national dialogue, he remarked: “The national dialogue is important.”

“The United Nations, the Security Council and the secretary general believe that it is something positive, particularly at this time. We hope that the obstacles to convening the national dialogue will be overcome in order to allow the next session that the president has now scheduled for August to take place,” he said.

A national dialogue session, which was set for Tuesday, was postponed following the March 14 camp’s boycott.

It took the decision following its accusations that the dialogue had failed to address the issue of Hizbullah and Palestinian refugees’ possession of arms and the case of the handing the telecom data in various assassination attempts to the security forces.

The next dialogue session will be held on August 16.