Beirut-Sana
The Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasbekin stressed the necessity to discuss the repeated Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, water and sovereignty and not to withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories during the UN Security Council debate on the extension of the United Nations Interim Force in southern Lebanon "UNIFIL".
Zasbekin said in a television statement today that his country is coordinating with Lebanon regarding the current UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon and supports its approach in this regard, noting that all attempts to change the mission of UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon have failed.
It is noteworthy that the UNIFIL forces have been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978 under a mandate from the United Nations and strengthened its powers in the wake of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon in 2006 and the issuance of Resolution 1701 by the United Nations Security Council.