"Peacekeepers could be sent to Lebanon"

Serbia will likely participate in the UN peacekeeping operation in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic announced in Beirut late on Monday. There are friendly ties, understanding and mutual support between Serbia and Lebanon and this will continue in future, Jeremic told FoNet news agency during his one-day visit to the Middle Eastern country. "Peacekeepers could be sent to Lebanon" After the meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Ali Hussein Al-Shami, Jeremic pointed out that Belgrade and Beirut had had decades of friendly relations, but he also stressed that this was the first time that a Serbian foreign minister visited Beirut. “We have discussed the situation in the world. Lebanon will become a [non-permanent] member of the UN Security Council on January 1, and its position will be extremely important. I used this opportunity to inform my Lebanese colleague about the current situation, above all about Kosovo,” the Serbian foreign minister explained. According to him, Lebanon and Serbia share the same opinion regarding need to respect international law and reach solutions through dialogue instead of by imposing them. “I thanked Lebanon for the support we have had so far regarding Kosovo and I can say that we will work closely in the coming years, not only concerning Kosovo but also on all other issues which are being solved within the international community,” Jeremic pointed out. He also announced in Beirut that Serbia would likely take part in the UN peacekeeping operation in Lebanon. Jeremic stated that Serbia was discussing this with “our friends from Spain because our troops would be a part of the Spanish contingent.” “We are now discussing the specialty and the size of our contingent,” the foreign minister said and explained that once the government made a decision, the details would become known to the public. “I have used the opportunity to express Serbia’s political readiness to participate in this important operation, because our country used to be one of the most important factors in UN operations and peacekeeping missions, especially here in the Middle East,” he pointed out. “Considering the fact that Serbia is returning to the international scene as a factor of stability, not only in the Balkans but in other parts of the world as well, taking part in this mission would mean a lot for the promotion of Serbia and improvement of its reputation,” he stressed. Jeremic and Al-Shami also spoke about bilateral relations, pointing out that the history of these ties was long, and that there were many things that the two countries could do together. “We spoke about economic cooperation. A large business delegation from Serbia will arrive in Lebanon in a few days' time, and we have also reached an agreement concerning cultural and educational exchange,” the Serbian foreign minister concluded. Vuk Jeremic (FoNet, file)

"Peacekeepers could be sent to Lebanon"

After the meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Ali Hussein Al-Shami, Jeremić pointed out that Belgrade and Beirut had had decades of friendly relations, but he also stressed that this was the first time that a Serbian foreign minister visited Beirut.

“We have discussed the situation in the world. Lebanon will become a [non-permanent] member of the UN Security Council on January 1, and its position will be extremely important. I used this opportunity to inform my Lebanese colleague about the current situation, above all about Kosovo,” the Serbian foreign minister explained.

According to him, Lebanon and Serbia share the same opinion regarding need to respect international law and reach solutions through dialogue instead of by imposing them.

“I thanked Lebanon for the support we have had so far regarding Kosovo and I can say that we will work closely in the coming years, not only concerning Kosovo but also on all other issues which are being solved within the international community,” Jeremić pointed out.

He also announced in Beirut that Serbia would likely take part in the UN peacekeeping operation in Lebanon.

Jeremić stated that Serbia was discussing this with “our friends from Spain because our troops would be a part of the Spanish contingent.”

“We are now discussing the specialty and the size of our contingent,” the foreign minister said and explained that once the government made a decision, the details would become known to the public.

“I have used the opportunity to express Serbia’s political readiness to participate in this important operation, because our country used to be one of the most important factors in UN operations and peacekeeping missions, especially here in the Middle East,” he pointed out.

“Considering the fact that Serbia is returning to the international scene as a factor of stability, not only in the Balkans but in other parts of the world as well, taking part in this mission would mean a lot for the promotion of Serbia and improvement of its reputation,” he stressed.

Jeremić and Al-Shami also spoke about bilateral relations, pointing out that the history of these ties was long, and that there were many things that the two countries could do together.

“We spoke about economic cooperation. A large business delegation from Serbia will arrive in Lebanon in a few days' time, and we have also reached an agreement concerning cultural and educational exchange,” the Serbian foreign minister concluded.