UN Envoy to Discuss Troop Withdrawal with Israeli Officials

Published April 25th, 2000 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Special UN Middle East envoy Terje Larsen is due to meet with senior officials in Jerusalem Tuesday to discuss Israel's plans to pull the Israeli army out of the occupied zone in south Lebanon by July, reported the Jerusalem Post.  

The Israeli daily cited government sources as confirming that Larsen will meet with National Security Adviser Danny Yatom and probably Foreign Minister David Levy.  

But no meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Barak is planned, said the daily, although Larsen held impromptu talks with him on a previous visit to Israel a few weeks ago. 

However, AFP said the envoy will hold talks this week with Barak. 

"The main issue will be Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and the UN role in it," a source in Barak's office told AFP. 

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced last week that Roed-Larsen would visit Israel as well as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, to discuss implementation of the 1978 UN resolution calling for the Jewish state's withdrawal from Lebanon. 

"Cooperation by all parties concerned will be required in order to avoid a deterioration of the situation" after an Israeli withdrawal, the UN Security Council said in a statement last week giving its backing to Roed-Larsen's mission -- (Several Sources) 

© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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