EU Ready to Provide Further Funding, Says Tribunal should Continue its Work without Impediment
Europe's foreign ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to the international tribunal as an independent court and expressed readiness to provide it further funding.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon “must continue its work without impediment and with the cooperation of the Lebanese government,” the ministers said in a statement following one-day talks in Brussels on Monday.
“Funding must be preserved. In this regard, the council notes that the EU and individual member states stand ready to provide further funding. At the same time the EU encourages others to contribute,” the statement added.
The declaration from the EU's 27 ministers stressed Europe’s “determination to reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, unity and stability.”
It recalled its commitment to the full implementation of all relevant Security Council Resolutions, including 1559, 1680, 1701 and 1757.
The foreign ministers also lauded the crucial role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, saying the activities of peacekeepers alongside the Lebanese army continue to be essential for peace in the region.
The statement took note of the designation of Najib Miqati as prime minister and called “upon the Lebanese authorities to seek the broadest possible consensus and to preserve unity, in full respect with the principles enshrined in the Lebanese Constitution, the Taef accord and with all Lebanon's international obligations.”
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