BEIRUT, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday urged the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to intervene in Israel's violations of the country's airspace.
The prime minister's remarks came during his meeting at the Grand Serail with Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, head of UNIFIL, a day after the peacekeeping mission marked the 44th anniversary of its establishment, the Council of Ministers said in a statement.
Mikati reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, while recognizing that the sustained cooperation between UNIFIL forces and Lebanon's army in the southern region has secured border stability.
He also thanked UNIFIL "for its efforts to support Lebanese citizens on their land and to promote sustainable development in the south."
The UNIFIL was launched in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. After the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, its mandate expanded to monitor the cessation of hostilities and to accompany the deployment of Lebanese armed forces throughout southern Lebanon as Israel withdraws its troops.
