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The Australian Government has
offered full support for UNSCR 1559.
This was after two meetings held
with Australian officials: the first
was on Friday, 13 August 2004 when a
delegation headed by Mr. Stephen
Stanton, comprising Cedarwatch and
the Australian Lebanese Sovereignty
Board met with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs; and the second wan
by the same delegation that met with
MP Ross Cameron and as a result of
much determined work and lobbying by
The Australian Lebanese Sovereignty
Board (Al Tiyyar Al Siyadi includes:
World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU
Regional Council & ALA NSW);
Australian Lebanese Christian
Federation; Cedrwatch; Kataeb;
Ahrar; Guardians of the Cedars; Free
Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese
Forces).
The Australian Government position
regarding UNSCR 1559 was expressed
in a letter sent to The Australian
Lebanese Sovereignty Board and
delivered by MP Ross Cameron who
represented the Prime Minister, the
Hon John Howard at a Pro Lebanon
gathering held in Sydney on the 29th
October in Support of the 5th Appeal
of the Maronite Bishops Council
issued on 1 September 2004 and the
UNSCR 1559 dated 2 September 2004.
TEXT
THE HON ALEXANDER DOWNER MP
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
CANBERRA ACT 2600
29 SEP 2004
MESSAGE TO THE AUSTRALIAN
LEBANESE SOVEREIGNTY BOARD
The Australian Government shares the
commitment of Lebanese Australians
to supporting Lebanon's sovereignty,
independence and national unity. It
is matter of principle that the
Government fully supports the
withdrawal of foreign troops from
Lebanon.
I applaud the recent passage of UN
Security Council Resolution 1559.
The Australian Government shares the
resolution's declared support for
free and fair elections in Lebanon,
without foreign interference.
Australia joins other friends of
Lebanon to urge respect for the
Constitution and Lebanon's sovereign
independence.
Australia's principled support for
UNSCR 1559 continues our
long-standing commitment w the
sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Lebanon. Australia
welcomed implementation of UNSCR
425, which explicitly called for the
withdrawal of foreign forces from
Lebanon. We continue to support the
full implementation of UNSCR 520
noting ‘Lebanon's determination to
ensure the withdrawal of a11
non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon’.
I welcome the withdrawal of some
Syrian troops from Lebanon over the
last two years, but I urge further
action to implement a full
withdrawal in line with the wishes
of the international community as
expressed in UN Security Council
resolutions.
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