Statement by Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, during the UN Security Council meeting on extensing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
Today the Russian delegation voted in favour of resolution 2373 (2017), which extends the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), because of the important stabilizing role that this peacekeeping mission plays in the region.
The positive effect of the work of UNIFIL’s peacekeepers is felt not only on the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel but also within Lebanon and indeed in the Middle East in general. We greatly appreciate the Tripartite Mechanism’s efforts to prevent and resolve incidents.
The fragile stability of the constructive collaboration that exists among all the Lebanese political forces must be protected. In our view, every issue on the national agenda, including those related to security, should be resolved by legal institutions through a comprehensive intra-Lebanese dialogue and without external interference.
We cherish our bilateral relations with Lebanon and urge everyone to focus on supporting the Lebanese people and the Government. It is also important to help them to implement measures aimed at preserving political and economic stability, in a country that has recently been making forward progress.
We should ensure that we maintain a policy of support to Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. We hope that the future activities of this important peacekeeping operation will be carried out with full respect for the opinion of the Government of Lebanon.
