(UNIFIL Press Statement on Tripartite Meeting, 18 August 2011)
The Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas, today chaired a tripartite meeting with senior officials from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at the UN Position at Ras Al Naqoura crossing.

During the meeting issues relating to implementation of the relevant provisions of UN Security Council resolution 1701 were discussed, including the situation along the Line of Withdrawal (Blue Line), violations and incidents, visible marking of the Blue Line and the issue of withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Ghajar.

Following the meeting Major-General Asarta said: "The 01 August exchange of fire between LAF and IDF near Wazzani once again underscored the extreme sensitivity of the Blue Line and the important role our liaison and coordination arrangement with the parties plays in preventing escalation. The tripartite mechanism is at the core of this arrangement, as evident yet again in today's deliberations when we were able to address a range of critical issues with the parties."

He added: "I emphasized two imperatives for effectively dealing with any challenges and ensuring that the area remains generally quiet. First, I called on both parties to act with maximum restraint and to avoid any kind of unilateral action, including any action that might be perceived as provocative by the other side. Second, I called on both parties to utilize UNIFIL's liaison and coordination mechanism to the full, and to address all issues of tension through UNIFIL."

Both the parties reaffirmed their continued commitment to the implementation of resolution 1701 and their willingness to work with UNIFIL to maintain the cessation of hostilities.