BEIRUT, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Head Michael Beary chaired Monday the first tripartite meeting of 2018 with senior officials from the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the UN headquarters at Ras Al Naqoura.
"Discussions centered on the liaison and coordination arrangements provided by UNIFIL to ensure that there is no misunderstanding or miscalculation along the Blue Line in order to ensure a continued climate of calm and stability," the UNIFIL said in a statement.
There has been great attention on this tripartite meeting due to engineering works south of the Blue Line previously announced by the Israeli side.
"The UNIFIL's position on the construction works proposed by the IDF is that any activity close to the Blue Line should be predictable, with sufficient prior notification to allow for coordination by the parties, so as to avoid misunderstandings and prevent incidents," the statement added.
"UNIFIL stands ready 24/7 for any follow-up meetings," Beary told both parties, while encouraging them to "examine the benefits that can be achieved by reaching agreement through close coordination," the statement said.
Both sides also confirmed their commitment to further use UNIFIL's tripartite and liaison mechanisms to address any issues that could provide potential for tensions and to minimize the scope for any possible misunderstandings.
They also reaffirmed their support in the implementation of UNIFIL's mandate under UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and the operational paragraphs of Security Council resolution 2373 (2017).
