Watkins Meets Miqati, Says Report on 1701 to be Discussed at Security Council by End of Nov.

United Nations Resident Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins said that the report on Lebanon’s implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 will be sent to New York on Tuesday to be discussed at the Council on November 29.

Watkins held a meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati to inform him of the content of the report.

He stressed that he is pleased with the current stability in southern Lebanon although the area hasn’t yet witnessed a permanent ceasefire, noting that huge progress was made regarding the demarcation of the Blue Line.

Watkins said that threats against UNIFIL still exist, praising the support of the Lebanese armed forces and Internal Security forces.

However, the U.N. official stated that there are still some issues that need to be resolved, saying that the U.N. had discussed the matter with the Israeli and the Lebanese authorities over the past few weeks.

Watkins stressed that the continuous Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace hasn’t declined yet as Israel still occupies the northern Ghajar village territories.

Concerning the national dialogue table, he said that the U.N. looks forward to its success, especially regarding the defense strategy.

On the Syrian army infiltrations into Lebanese territories, Watkins said that the development raises concerns especially regarding the Lebanese government’s failure to control the border with Syria.

He stressed that the Lebanese-Syrian border should be clearly demarcated.