DAMASCUS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Mekdad on Monday called on the United Nations to investigate and address what he described as the repeated violations and attacks by Israeli forces on Syrian territory.
In a meeting with visiting UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Mekdad highlighted Syria's ongoing cooperation with and facilitation to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.
He stressed the importance of the UNDOF's mandate in maintaining peace and security in the region as well as the need for UN intervention to "halt the actions of the Israeli occupation against the residents of the occupied Golan Heights."
Mekdad reiterated Syria's legitimate right to reclaim the occupied Golan Heights.
For his part, Lacroix acknowledged the cooperation and support provided by the Syrian government, underscoring the role of UN peacekeeping operations in maintaining and promoting international peace and security, and highlighting the significance of efforts to de-escalate regional tensions.
Lacroix and his delegation will conduct an on-site assessment of UNDOF operations and positions in the Golan Heights.
The meeting came amid heightened tension in the region amid speculation of a near showdown between the Lebanese Hezbollah group and Israel and the fear of spillover effects into Syria. ■
