Tripartite Meeting held on 18 March 2015

18 Mar 2015

Tripartite Meeting held on 18 March 2015

The Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Luciano Portolano, today chaired a regular tripartite meeting with senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the UN Position at Ras Al Naqoura crossing.

Relevant aspects of the recent Secretary-General's report on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 were discussed, including air and ground violations, the ongoing visible marking of the Blue Line and the issue of withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Ghajar.

The UNIFIL Force Commander said: "I was very encouraged by the productive and constructive engagement demonstrated by the parties during the meeting. They strongly reiterated their commitment to the cessation of hostilities and today, both parties again expressed their appreciation for this unique liaison and coordination mechanism that has proven to be vital in preventing tension and incidents, and in de-conflicting the situation at critical moments"

"I am pleased that the stability along the Blue Line has returned since we last gathered in this room on 4 February. I have asked both parties to continue to work with UNIFIL to minimize and halt violations and to build on what has been achieved through the Tripartite arrangements and the pro-active efforts taken by the parties".