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| EU ready to send
observers to monitor Lebanese elections: commissioner BEIRUT -- The European Union (EU) expressed Tuesday its readiness to send observers to monitor the Lebanese parliamentary elections, set for June 7. Visiting EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, in a press conference following a meeting with Premier Fuad Siniora, said that the EU supported holding parliamentary elections in Lebanon and would assist the government by dispatching observers to guarantee the smooth flow of elections. She said the Lebanese government had agreed to this proposal, adding that the mission would arrive here prior to the elections to make sure that all preparations were in place. In response to a question, Ferrero-Waldner reiterated the EU's support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which would begin work in The Hague next month. When asked to comment on Syrian-Lebanese relations, she welcomed the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides, noting that now that a Lebanese ambassador had presented his credential to the Syrian president, the next step would be for a reciprocal action on the part of Damascus. As for the demarcation of Syrian-Lebanese borders, the commissioner underscored the importance of this and quoted Syrian officials, whom she met with yesterday, as saying that this would begin "very soon." Meanwhile, the commissioner called on the Lebanese political parties to exert greater effort to implement the Doha Accord they signed on May 21, reiterating the EU's support for dialogue among all parties with the aim of reaching conciliation. Moreover, she said the EU stood ready to tackle the challenges faced by Lebanon, including the placement of a suitable strategy for the protection of its borders and consolidating state authority. -Kuna |
