President Amin Gemayel of Lebanon declared here today that the Palestinians in his country should leave Lebanon “in peace and freedom and self-determination in their land, Palestine.” At the some time, he called “for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon” and stressed that peace in Lebanon is a precondition to peace in the Middle East.
In a relatively short speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Gemayel, who arrived in New York yesterday and is scheduled to meet President Reagan in Washington tomorrow, declared that Lebanon is now on “the verge of a new era.” His speech was conspicuous for its lack of reference to future relations between Lebanon and Israel.
He mentioned Israel but in a different context when he said. “As we cherish our independence, we also cherish the hope that the Palestinians and Israelis, with the support of the world community, will reach a settlement that will allow them both to enjoy the fullness of rights.”
As for relations between Lebanon and Syria, Gemayel declared, “They have always been close in the past. It is natural therefore that Syria and Lebanon should develop strong relations in the future in the context of independence, sovereignty and mutual respect.”
He added: “With this position in mind, I call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon. I call upon the world community to help Lebanon regain its real independence and rebuild its economy.”
WILL RESPECT SOVEREIGNTY OF OTHERS
Gemayel said his country will respect “the liberty and sovereignty of others, fully conscious of the responsibilities that this attitude entails.” He said Lebanon needs the support of the international community to rebuild peace.
He declared: “We applaud all positive steps taken by our friends in the international community in behalf of a united and sovereign Lebanon, steps such as the U.S. initiative in Lebanon which we shall explore to the fullest. We look to our Arab brethren for political and economic support in building a country which can be a source of pride, peace and progress for us and for them.”
Gemayel cautioned that while he speaks optimistically about the future of Lebanon, the situation there and in all of the Middle East remains “fragile.” He said: “Only concerted efforts on your part will strengthen the forces of peace in our part of the world. We now have an opportunity to arrest the cycle of war and chaos. Let us seize it. Peace in Lebanon is obviously a pre-condition to peace in the Middle East. Lebanon is a key to the region. If it is stable, so will this region be stable. If it is in chaos, so will be the volatile East.”
Gemayel is scheduled to appear before the UN Security Council later today to give his views on the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) which expires shortly.
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