MOSCOW - Russia said Saturday it expected all sides involved in the conflict in Lebanon to abide ‘strictly’ by a new United Nations resolution calling for an end to the bloodshed. ‘We expect all sides to abide strictly to the decision by the UN Security Council,’ the Russian foreign ministry said in a written statement.The resolution adopted Friday is ‘a first important step on the path to overcoming this extremely dangerous crisis,’ the statement said.
Resolution 1701, drawn up by the United States and France after protracted haggling, also calls for Israeli troops to be withdrawn from southern Lebanon after an end to the fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to tell him the resolution presented ‘a chance for a political settlement’, the Kremlin said. Putin stressed that it was the ‘only reasonable alternative’ to an expansion of the ground war in Lebanon and called for its ‘rapid’ implementation.
| Hmmm, implement the resolution or expand the ground war. Decisions, decisions ... |
The statement also stressed that the ‘original reason’ for the conflict in Lebanon was the absence of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. ‘One of the main aims of the international community should be to focus efforts on creating the conditions for a resumption of the peace process in this region,’ the ministry said.
| Yep, gotta fire up the peace processor! |